Tainted Innocence
by tykibruh
Summary: "A blade has two sides; one to protect, one to kill." In the midst of the Holy War between exorcists and the Noah, there is one who stands on top. Not the victor of the war, but a single sinned angel whose existence was erased from history. "The kindest soul can be turned into the strongest weapon."
1. Prologue

"Hey guys…if you had a wish, just _one_ wish, what would you wish for?"

"Huh? Just one? That's so little!"

"Only one?"

"Yeah. Just one."

"Does it count if I ask for more wishes with that one wish?"

"No, it doesn't."

"Oh, bummer…"

"If it's only one wish…then…I would like to be rich."

"Hah? What kind of dream is that?"

"I don't know, that's just my greed talking. My real wish is to live peacefully."

"That's actually a pretty noble wish."

"Shut up."

"A wish…to hang out with you guys more."

"Heh, what a good spirit you have."

"That's a nice thought. What about you?"

"Hm…maybe to eat good food?"

"You're not sure?"

"Nah, not really. It's hard to pick out what I want the most."

"That's alright. And you?"

"My wish…is for us to be together forever."

"...you're a sweet kid."

"Don't worry, we won't leave you behind or anything."

"Yeah, we'll stay together like we always do."

"They're right! We'll always stay together, so don't worry!"

"What about your wish? You were the one who asked, right?"

"Mhmm. My wish...hm…I guess it's to…"

"To?"

"…to stay friends and make good memories together. To trust each other."

"That's more than one wish, you know…"

"They're parts of the same wish. Isn't that what being friends mean?"

"I guess."

"Hehe, I think we all have similar wishes! Let's do our best to fulfil them!"

"Aren't we already doing that?"

"Yeah, but…! More memories and happy times!"

"Sure, sure."

"Okay, okay…"

"Come on, let's do our best today, too!"

"O-oi! Hey! Don't drag me!"

"Hey! Wait up!"

 _However, at that time, our words were naïve. We didn't know what would happen._

 _If only we were aware of why those wishes never came to be._


	2. Chapter 1

1

* * *

Where am I?

 _The sight of the stars and moon illuminated the town below, shining forever brightly with no care in the world. It casted shadows upon shadows that would fade when the sun rises, and come again when it falls._

Who...is that?

 _Even with movement from the mouth and a want to speak, there was not a sound made._

 _In the middle of the town, someone stood, holding a long object, which seemed to be stained with something dark. They stood still, like a statue._

 _One foot took a step forward. The feeling of something soft underneath the foot caused the vision to blur and look downwards, seeing a grotesque body stained in a dark substance._

 _Then, the person that stood like a statue spoke, voice clear as day but chilling as night._

 _"There is no such thing as God."_

* * *

"Sin, are you going to wear that as a hairpin?"

A woman of average height and a slender stature turned to face her friend. Her light blue eyes held surprise at the sudden voice that had come from behind. She had gotten her when she had just left her room, staring at her hairpin as she walked.

She shook her head in response, "No, I'm not."

Lenalee took a few steps closer, analysing her new friend's hairpin that sat on her hand. She reached to touch it. The hairpin was thin and about the size of the length of her hand, made of silver that was thicker on one end and thinner on the other. The thinner side had a slightly blunted tip; the thicker side had branched out into 2 near towards the end, coiling around each other a few times before meeting together and branching out into the shape of a flower. Stuck in between the silver flower frame was a jewel in the shape of a small peony. The jewel was mainly clear, but the petal tips and centre glistened a pale pink that likened it to the colour of real peonies.

 _What an expensive pretty looking hairpin…_ Lenalee thought. She was worried for Sin, who seemed nonchalant about using this hairpin as a weapon. It was then that Lenalee realised that she didn't know much about her friend.

 _But then again…I only just met her a couple of days ago._

"Is something wrong, Lena?" Sin asked with slight concern. The girl had been staring at her hand for a long while and had not spoken a word.

"Ah, no, it's nothing." The Dark Boots user smiled at Sin's use of a nickname. "I was just thinking about how it was going to work out. With where you'll put the hairpin, I mean."

Sin touched her short black hair, reminiscing about old times. A clouded look glazed over her eyes as she stared at the Rose Cross on Lenalee's chest, momentarily blanking out.

"Sin?" Lenalee waved her hand in front of her fellow countrywoman's face, effectively snapping her out of it. "Are you alright?"

"I'm…fine." Sin spoke with a small smile. She pulled a bit of her hair, "My hair's really short now, so I can't use this hairpin anymore." She laughed a little.

Lenalee thought for a moment, bringing a hand to her chin unconsciously. Once done, her arm went back to her side and her expression lit up. "Why don't you go to the Science Section to change the hairpin into something else? You can also introduce yourselves since you haven't met them yet."

It was just a suggestion out of kindness, but Sin shook her head. "Thank you, Lena. But I'll keep it the way it is. It's a precious item to me, so I don't want to change its shape."

"I see." Lenalee nodded. She didn't pry for any answers, as she believed Sin will tell her when the time comes.

"…I wish I had long hair likes yours, Lena. I miss how long it used to be." Sin smiled, staring at the twin tailed Chinese girl.

"Why don't you grow it out, then?" Lenalee suggested. "And then you can wear the hairpin again!"

"That's…a good idea." The hairpin owner smiled, feeling almost regretful about her hair.

Sensing this, Lenalee changed the subject quickly. "Since it won't be in your hair, I think that there should be a sort of scabbard, like with Kanda's Innocence."

"Kanda?" Sin questioned with a slight tilt of her head. She didn't know who this 'Kanda' person was, but it sounded like they used a sword.

"Yes. He's an exorcist as well, but he's on a mission right now. You'll meet him when he comes back." Lenalee grinned, "There are also other exorcists that you can meet later, too! I'll introduce them to you when we see them."

"Anyway! We might be able to get a small scabbard like container that fits with the hairpin. The Science Section can also make all sorts of things other than changing the shape of Innocence." She clapped her hands together, "Why don't we go there now?"

Sin giggled at Lenalee's enthusiasm, but couldn't help but think that she just wanted her to visit the Science Division.

"Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

"Oh! Lenalee, what brings you here?" Johnny Gill, a Black Order scientist, looked from behind a large stack of paperwork.

The other scientists looked from behind their own stack of paperwork at Johnny's voice, wondering the same thing. They were met with the faces of the two exorcists.

"Hello, everyone!" Lenalee greeted warmly, giving each of them a smile.

Sin smiled small from behind Lenalee, bowing her head slightly at each scientist out of habit.

"Eh? Lenalee, who's that behind you?" Reever looked a little surprised by the bowing. He then gasped loudly and hit his fist onto his palm. "Are you the new exorcist?!"

"Yup! Her name's Sin Diae." Lenalee stepped aside to show off her new friend.

Sin felt everyone's eyes on her and she smiled at them, "It's nice to meet you all. I hope we get along." She did another small bow.

Johnny blushed slightly. Sin had an elegance that was a complete 180 from everyone in the Order, which surprised him. When he tore his eyes away from her, he glanced around the room to see everyone doing the same thing he did.

"So, what did you two come for?" Reever asked. His gaze switched back and forth between the two girls, before landing on Lenalee, who spoke.

"Well, Sin needed something to hold her Innocence in." Lenalee glanced at Sin for a brief moment. As if knowing exactly what she wanted, Sin brought out the hairpin to show Reever.

The head scientist took the hairpin from Sin, handling it with care at how delicate it looked. He examined it as Lenalee continued.

"She needs something like a container, like Kanda's scabbard, that can attach to her belt and be durable enough so that it doesn't break, and is detachable, but also able to protect the hairpin." Lenalee smiled.

"You put a lot of thought into this…" Sin laughed a little. "Thank you."

"It seems like you two are good friends." Reever grinned and placed the hairpin down onto his desk. He grabbed a notepad from the side and jotted down all that Lenalee requested, ripping it off and placing it under the hairpin. "It's unusual for you to request so much, Lenalee."

"Ah! I'm sorry, did I ask for too much?" Lenalee looked apologetic.

"No, no, it's fine. I'll get right to it. It won't be done today, so I'll tell you when we get it done." Reever started to do his paperwork again.

"Thank you." Sin smiled and bowed slightly.

Lenalee and Sin left the Science Section and headed towards the cafeteria. It was around breakfast time, so they were feeling hungry.

"What were their names?" Sin asked, a couple of steps after leaving the division.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce them to you." Lenalee gasped slightly. "Here we go; the blonde man that we just talked to is the Science Division leader, his name is Reever Wenham. The one with the circle glasses that was the first to talk when we came in is Johnny Gill. The one who sits next to Johnny is called Tap Dopp, and the one who looks like a ghost is Number 65, but he's not human, he's a mechanical creature that the Science Division made. There are others, but they aren't working in that area."

"They seem like very hardworking people." Sin sweat dropped slightly when she remembered the huge stacks of paperwork that they had to do. "I hope they get enough rest."

Lenalee just laughed, patting Sin on the shoulder, "They'll be fine."

"Oi, Lenalee, give me your hair ribbon."

Sin turned to where she heard the masculine voice, seeing a person with long deep blue hair that went to the hips. They had dark eyes, a very smooth jawline, a tall and muscular build, but a foul expression.

"Then ask nicely!" Lenalee snapped with a frown. She rummaged through her jacket to find a hair ribbon, handing it over to the male.

If Sin had not being paying attention, she would have thought this person was just a tall and muscular woman, but now that she heard his voice she knew it definitely wasn't.

 _But he's such a beautiful person…_ Sin thought with a small smile. She bowed her head slightly at the person.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." She said. "My name is Sin."

The male looked at her and his eyes narrowed, making it look like he was glaring at her. Sin felt a little unnerved at the look, but kept the smile on her face. It had been a long time since she was in a situation like this.

"Hmph." He began to tie his hair.

"Sorry for his attitude." Lenalee apologized. "This is Kanda. He's an exorcist too."

"Too? She's an exorcist?" The way Kanda spoke sounded as if he was scoffing at the fact that Sin had become an exorcist. He finished tying his hair.

"Yes. Be nice, Kanda! She just started!" Lenalee scolded.

Kanda made a face and looked at the new exorcist again, eyes once again narrowing. Sin kept that smile frozen on her face, unsure of what to say.

"Kanda, I thought you were on a mission." Lenalee spoke up. She had noticed the tension between Kanda and Sin, and wanted to tear his gaze away even for just a moment so her friend wouldn't feel as threatened by the man.

"We got back early. It took us quicker than we thought." Kanda responded. He glanced at Lenalee, "What's her Innocence?"

Lenalee's brows raised when she heard his question. She was surprised that he had taken an interest and not just walked away.

"It's a hairpin that can become spear sword." Sin responded. She thought back to when she first used it, and nodded her head in confirmation. Lenalee did the same, having been there to see it in action.

"Does it have a pink flower on it?" Kanda questioned.

"Y-yes…" Sin was a little surprised at how he knew. She met his eyes with her own blue ones, and stared in awe at how beautiful he was.

Lenalee stood there with thoughtful expression, wondering why Kanda would be asking about that. Knowing Kanda, he wouldn't ask anything unless there was really a need for him to know.

The male didn't say a word as he looked at Sin, before clicking his tongue and turning around on his heel. He walked off.

Sin was confused as to why he clicked his tongue. Did she do something to make him disapprove of her?

When he left the area, Sin sighed, "His foul expression ruins his beauty." The moment the words came out she clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes going wide in realisation to what she just said. "Oh, no, no, no! I didn't mean it in a degrading way! I'm so sorry!" Sin apologized, holding the side of her face in her hands.

"It's fine, Sin. Kanda's like that to everyone." Lenalee laughed. She hooked her arm around Sin's and pulled her along with her to the cafeteria.

 _He's like that with everyone? That's completely different to—_

* * *

"STRIKE!"

Sin jumped in her spot when someone popped up in front of her. She let out a high pitched squeak that turned the heads of everyone in the cafeteria, causing laughter at the scene. Sin blushed from embarrassment.

"Lavi, don't do that!" Lenalee hit a tall irregularly styled orange haired male in the head. "This is Sin. She's new here, so treat her nicely."

Lavi had an eyepatch on his right eye that Sin found herself curious about. He also had a patterned bandanna that held up his hair, and emerald coloured eyes.

 _His green eyes…they're like glass._

"Sin, huh. Nice to meet ya, I'm Lavi." He greeted. He smiled widely and placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair. "Sorry for scaring ya."

 _Ya…_

Sin shook her head, tittering. She was relieved it was a decent person, and bowed her head slightly to him as she did with everyone else she just met. "It's nice to meet you, Lavi. I hope we can get along."

Lavi grinned and took his hand away, but the moment he did, he had been kicked somewhere by an old man, making a loud sound when he hit something.

"Hah?" Sin expressed with sudden shock. "Lavi…?" She turned to look which way the orange haired male went flying, and saw him getting up near the wall.

"IDIOT!" The old man that had kicked him away was now in front of Sin. She looked at him and bowed slightly.

She found it strange how his hair was only on one patch of his head, and seemed to grow upwards, even forming a question mark in appearance. He had what looked like black make up around his eyes, resembling him to a panda. He was also quite short.

"My name is Sin. It's nice to meet you." Sin greeted. She was worried for Lavi, but since nobody said anything, she assumed he was fine.

"I am Bookman." He answered straightforwardly. "That is my idiot apprentice, Bookman Junior; Lavi."

"Bookman?" Sin questioned, unsure of what that was. She had unconsciously said that aloud, which prompted the old man to speak.

"We are a clan that records the world's history." He explained.

The short haired female nodded slowly. She didn't yet get how that worked, but she accepted it anyway.

It was then that Lavi came stomping back up to them, shouting a few things at Bookman, only to have them quarrel about random things that weren't related.

"They're always like this." Lenalee commented, dragging Sin away from them. The twin tailed exorcist pulled her towards the kitchen, where Jerry popped up to greet them.

"Ooh! Lenalee, who's this?" Jerry had an expression of surprise when Lenalee pulled Sin over. She bowed her head slightly at the chef. "Oh! You must be the new exorcist that Komui was talking about!"

"Yup! This is Sin!" Lenalee turned to Sin, "This is our head chef. His name is Jerry. He makes the best food!"

"You can order anything here!" Jerry beamed. "Order anything and as much as you'd like!"

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Jerry." Sin smiled warmly. The sound of good food made her happy.

"Oh yes! Lenalee, your brother said to take Sin to his office." Jerry reminded quickly. He waved his chopsticks in the air, "Better go quickly!"

"Okay, got it."

* * *

"I take it you've introduced Sin to most people?" Komui smiled at the duo that walked in. He had heard the introductions over the golems, and of course, Reever, who had come in just before to yell at him to do paperwork.

"Yup. She's fitting in well. Right, Sin?" Lenalee beamed at her friend.

Sin grinned and nodded in agreement. "Yes. Everyone is nice…" She trailed off when she thought of Kanda's foul attitude. "…yes, everyone is nice." She repeated.

 _She repeated herself…_ Komui and Lenalee thought simultaneously. _Probably Kanda._

"It's a good thing that you're fitting in well." Komui rummaged through the loose sheets on his desk.

Sin sweat dropped at the amount of paperwork he had to do, it was even more than the Science Division's. Paper covered the ground even a couple of metres from the desk, and several stacks of paper surrounded his desk, possibly rivalling half of Sin's height.

"Ah! Found it!" Komui pulled out the sheet of paper that he needed and presented it to the girls. "It's your personal information sheet!"

"Brother, I don't think you should leave that on your desk…" Lenalee spoke disapprovingly. She sighed lightly and went over to take it from him, swiping a clipboard and pen along the way. "I'll take this to the archives after."

"You're so sweet, Lenalee!" Komui doted, smiling up a storm.

Sin laughed lightly at them. It was a daily occurance that the Branch Leader got told off by his younger sister. It wasn't long before her laughter stopped, and the image of a boy appeared in her mind, calling out her name.

"Here." Lena handed the items to Sin.

"Thank you." The woman nodded in thanks and began to fill out some details, though she did leave out a few that she couldn't fill out.

"You're older than me!" Lenalee exclaimed from beside her.

Sin jumped from her spot the second time that day from sudden fright. She exhaled deeply, calming her nerves. "Am I? How old are you, Lena?"

"I'm 16. You're 3 years older than I am." Lenalee tapped the section that asked for age, and smiled up at the older woman. "We could almost be sisters!"

At the sound of that, Sin smiled warmly and nodded. "We very well could be. That would be a blessing."

Lena laughed, taking the paperwork from Sin when she was done. "I'll be back soon." She left.

The moment she left, Komui began to speak. "Yesterday, we went to Hevlaska to get your Innocence checked. Do you remember?"

Sin nodded. The memory played through her head, like it had just happened.

* * *

 _"This is Hevlaska. She's the Guardian of the Cube and keeper of the Innocence." Komui explained, stopping the descending machine. He was looking away from Sin and to a large glowing figure very close to them._

 _Following his gaze, Sin was met with the sight of a very large serpent like figure that loomed over them, glowing like the moon in the night sky. It had features of the bottom face of a woman, but the rest of the head had become a sort of type of hair that wasn't exactly hair at all._

What a huge being… _Sin thought._

 _For some strange reason, she wasn't scared. Normally those who looked upon such a creature would scream and run because it looked like some form of monster, but the feeling that Sin got from this being wasn't dangerous. It was a completely different feeling that puzzled even the girl herself._

 _Tentacle like arms wrapped around Sin's lower waist, lifting her off the ground and bringing her up to where Hevlaska's face was._

 _Sin just stared at her, having never seen a type of person like this before. It was a mystery how the woman got this big, but although she was curious, Sin didn't ask her._

 _"Hevlaska, her name is Sin." Komui called out from below. "The Innocence is the spear sword in her hand."_

 _The protector of the Cube wrapped a few tendrils around Sin's arm that held the Innocence, waiting to see the synchronisation rate._

 _"Your synchronisation rate with your equip type Innocence is 71%. Is this your first time invoking?" Hevlaska's voice seemed to echo around the spacious and dark room._

 _"Yes."_

 _Hevlaska wrapped Sin's arm in tendrils so that she could no longer see it, and when they unravelled, she saw that the spear sword had returned to what it once was—a hairpin._

 _"Since your Innocence is an equip type, it will be harder to control than a parasitic type Innocence. Your Innocence already seems to be the shape of a weapon, instead of its raw form. Be warned that the lower your synchronisation rate, the harder it will be to use your Innocence." Hevlaska placed Sin back down._

 _"Um...equip types and parasitic types are different, no?" Sin glanced at Komui. "And what are raw forms?"_

 _"Equip types are types that don't involve a body part. So for example, that sword is an equip type. Other things that could be equip types are boots or a hammer. Parasitic types, simply put, involve the use of a body part as host for the Innocence. An arm could be made of Innocence, or a leg." Komui paused, "As for raw forms, equip type Innocence users use a power-restricted form of their weapon so that it is easier to control and use, whilst parasitic types use their body as the restriction. Do you understand?"_

 _Sin nodded slowly, taking the information in like a sponge. "I got it, thanks."_

 _"Sin…" Hevlaska stopped short, seeming hesitant to speak._

 _Komui tilted his head slightly. "Hevlaska, what's wrong?"_

 _"Sin, your Innocence…" Hevlaska hesitated again, but then kept going, "It will become a 'Limiter'."_

 _"Is that what you foretell?" Komui questioned. He didn't exactly get what Hevlaska meant, but he grinned anyway, clapping his hands together. "Wonderful! This is Hevlaska's power, Sin. She can foretell the future."_

 _"I see." Sin nodded slowly. She had seen some fortune tellers before, but she didn't know whether or not what they spoke of was true._

 _"All of her predictions usually come true!" Komui said his thanks to Hevlaska and pressed a couple of buttons, allowing the machine they stood on to bring them back up to the higher levels of the Order._

 _"Usually?" Sin questioned to herself. Her voice was quiet and only audible to herself. She didn't exactly understand what Hevlaska meant also, so she didn't have too many ideas on what it could mean._

 _"Sin, Hevlaska's also an exorcist. But she's a different type of exorcist to you and the others." Komui informed._

 _"Hevlaska's an exorcist too…? Did her Innocence make her that way?" Sin asked out of curiosity. She didn't want to ask Hevlaska, as it seemed rude, but asking somebody who knew more about her would be a little better._

 _"Yup. She's been like that for over 100 years."_

 _"100 years?!" Sin exclaimed with wide blue eyes._

 _"Yes. She's as old as the Order, actually." Komui stopped the machine._

 _"Woah…" Sin couldn't contain her awe. Now she wondered how old Hevlaska was, and what she had experienced in her life._

 _"How did it go?" Lenalee had been waiting for them on the side, having been off running some errands._

 _"Yes. She even restored my hairpin back to what it originally looked like." Sin laughed, showing Lena her hairpin after getting off the machine._

 _"Does it need to be modified?" Lenalee questioned._

 _"Nope. It's fine the way it is. It's quite extraordinary how it's already in this form and not raw when you had it." Komui nodded in affirmation._

 _Lenalee smiled, "Come on, I'll give you a tour of this place."_

 _"Okay."_

* * *

"Yes…Hevlaska said it was about 71% synchronisation rate." Sin recalled. She added, "And that my Innocence will become a 'Limiter'."

"Yes. Good that you remembered." Komui paused, "It was your first time activating your Innocence that night, wasn't it?"

Sin nodded, "Yes. Lenalee really saved me then."

"Have you had any training in using weapons?"

"Um…I did have _a_ form of training with weapons, small and long, but it wasn't for combat."

"I see. In that case, considering that your Innocence is a sword, you'll need someone to train with and learn from." Komui intertwined his fingers as he leaned on his crowded desk. "You met him today – his name is Kanda."

Upon hearing his name, Sin forced a stiff smile on her face, remembering their brief encounter earlier.

 _Why him?_

"Kanda's Innocence is also a sword and the only difference is that it's shaped differently from yours. His skill with the sword if quite high; he's one of our best exorcists." Komui explained, "He will be a good teacher, but his personality might be troublesome for you."

 _You mean very troublesome?_ Sin thought. She wanted to sigh at the turn of events. _Indeed, Kanda doesn't seem like the most sociable person, so trainings with him would be…difficult. There doesn't seem to be any cons to this except that. The pros outweigh it, considering his Innocence is a sword, and he's one of the best exorcists. That would mean that he's had a lot of field experience. Bluntly put, it might be a good idea to get taught by him._

Sin sighed inaudibly. "Okay."

"If you're okay with that, then that's good. Kanda already knows."

 _Is that why he clicked his tongue at me earlier?_ Sin remembered that moment. _That makes a lot more sense. Maybe he doesn't want to teach me? But if so…then…how?_

"I see. So that's why Kanda was like that earlier." Lenalee strode in, placing the clipboard and pen back onto the Chief's table. "How did you get him to say yes?" Lenalee cleaned up the desk a little bit before going back to stand beside Sin.

Komui only smiled, but behind that smile was a sinister laugh that hid that secret.

"I have my ways."


	3. Chapter 2

"Is that it?" Sin got off the step in the middle of the clothing room, grabbing her jacket from Lenalee and placing it back on.

"Yup, we've taken your measurements so we can make a uniform that suits your fighting style." Johnny wrote down the numbers on a sheet clipped on the clipboard, making some additional notes just in case he forgot.

Sin had been wearing what she was wearing from before she joined the Order; a medium thickness long coat, a long sleeved shirt and pants, along with worn out shoes. They were a little big on her, but it was fine for now until she got her uniform.

"Sin, do you want shorts, a skirt, dress or pants for the uniform?" Johnny questioned.

The Asian female glanced at Lenalee's skirt, and remembered Kanda's long pants under the long coat. She didn't exactly want either of them. She didn't think a skirt would be suitable for sword fighting, and long pants would be hard to manoeuvre in. A dress would be distracting and the possibility of tripping would become higher. Shorts sounded good.

"Shorts." She smiled. "Would it be possible to get short boots with them? And a medium length coat?"

"Yup." Johnny scribbled down some words.

"I hope this isn't too much to ask, but can you make the coat a little like a dress?" Sin asked uncertainly.

"Hm? Sure, okay. If you have an idea of what it should look like, can you draw it here?" Johnny handed her the clipboard.

"I do. Thanks, Johnny." Sin drew the top of the uniform like Lenalee's, but from the waist down, it became like a one layer dress, being longer at the back than the front. Once she was finished, she handed it back to Johnny.

The scientist looked at the design and nodded his head. "Yup. We can make this."

Sin sighed in relief and smiled, "Thank you so much!"

* * *

"I've been meaning to ask, what are your earrings?" Lavi poked Sin's cheek. He had come up from behind the female exorcist duo, with Bookman not too far behind him.

They stopped and turned to face the pair, seeing that Lavi was just smiling at them.

Lenalee chimed in, "Me too. They're very pretty."

"Ah…" Sin covered both her lobes, feeling a bit hesitant to tell them. She wanted to omit as much information as possible. "It was from my grandparents."

"Oh…?" Lavi's single eye widened in surprise and he nodded slowly. "I see."

"It's kind of like the flower on your hairpin, actually." Lenalee commented. "Except it's blue, and not a flower."

"I guess so…" Sin tittered.

"Well, I'm off now. I have to go on a mission." Lavi smiled and walked past them, waving lazily.

Bookman walked past without a word, following Lavi. He looked at Sin for a moment before going.

 _What was that?_ Sin thought curiously.

"We shouldn't leave Kanda waiting." Lenalee hooked arms with Sin and together they went to the training grounds, where Komui said that Kanda was waiting for them. They had already gotten held up once, with the uniform measurements, but that was with Kanda's knowledge.

The minute the door opened to the training grounds, something flew right past Sin, the wind ruffling her hair in the process. Her expression stiffened in surprise, looking to which direction the item had been thrown from.

In front of the two exorcists was Kanda, holding a wooden sword in one hand and a deadly expression.

"You're late!" He snapped loudly, growling through his teeth. He looked incredibly annoyed and angry, even more so than before.

Sin gulped. She had a bad feeling about this training lesson.

Lenalee frowned, letting go of Sin's arm. "Be nice, Kanda!"

"Tch!"

"Well, I have other stuff I need to do, so I can't stay here with you, Sin. Have fun in your training lesson, but do be careful because it's Kanda." Lenalee smiled and left with the wave of a hand.

Sin stood alone and felt the aura of an angry beast in front of her, ready to charge and kill. She gulped thickly and turned to face him, seeing the face of the devil when she did. She nearly ran away then and there, but she forced her feet to stay rooted on the ground.

Kanda observed the new exorcist and made a face, before going over to the wall and getting another wooden sword, since he threw the other one when they came through the doors.

"Oi." Kanda threw the sword at Sin, and she fumbled a little before catching it.

"T-thanks…" Sin murmured.

The long haired male took a couple of steps forward and swung his sword from above his body to just above the ground. "This is a slash. Copy me."

"O-o-oh! O-okay!" Sin fumbled yet again with the sword, not used to his teaching method yet, and began to do what he told her to do. After she did the movement, she looked to Kanda to see his face had twisted into one of utter annoyance.

"You're doing it wrong!"

And so, the lesson continued.

* * *

"I wonder how she's faring." Reever commented, drinking some of his soda on break. He swung around on his chair, seeing the others were furiously finishing off the rest of their paperwork, having nearly finished the pile that they were supposed to do.

"Who?" Tap looked up, finishing the last piece of paper. He sighed in relief and drank the coffee that had been sitting on the table, exhaling with satisfaction after he did so.

"The new girl—Sin." The Science Division leader answered.

"Oh yeah, she was going to train with Kanda, right?" Johnny looked up, adjusting his circular lenses. He had also just finished his last piece of paperwork and was now unwrapping a chocolate bar.

"Kanda's pretty notorious for being one with a bad attitude." Reever shrugged, "Can't say I blame her if she decides to change her Innocence into something else after this training session."

Johnny, Tap and Number 65 shivered as their imaginations showed them the results of the training.

"I wouldn't blame her either." Tap and Johnny said in unison. Number 65 shook its head, agreeing with the other scientists.

"Speaking of Sin, how's her item coming along?" Johnny got off his seat and went over to the leader, seeing him with a design of the item requested. "This should be finished in a couple of days."

"Yeah. It's not too bad." Reever nodded and placed his mug of soda down.

"Let's get to it."

* * *

Lenalee scribbled some words down onto the sheet attached to the clipboard, regarding Sin. She still needed to fill out a lot of other forms that needed to be submitted to be kept in the archive as part of the Order's exorcist registration.

As she filled out the boxes, her mind wandered off to the first time she met Sin, when she was on a mission in the city of Madrid in Spain.

* * *

" _We've arrived, Lady Exorcist." A Finder from the Order informed the Dark Boots user._

 _Lenalee glanced around the city. It was bustling with people and the fragrance of plenty of fresh and cooked food filled their nostrils, resulting in their stomachs growling in need of food._

" _Let's go somewhere to eat first." She laughed and led the two Finders that came with her to a café, where they ordered some snacks and drinks._

 _Over the meals, they reviewed the mission they had at hand._

 _There have been sightings of akuma around the city of Madrid in Spain, some accumulated in certain areas, such as the outskirts of the town or the road leading up to the city. It's caused some concern particularly because it was close to an area where there was a large concentration of people, and thus to reduce possible casualties, Lenalee was deployed with 2 Finders to investigate. The possibility of finding Innocence was fifty-fifty, so they only sent one exorcist._

" _After this, we will search the border of the city to see if there are any disturbances." One of the Finders said. He glanced at the other Finder and they nodded in unison._

 _Lenalee thought for a brief moment, "While you inspect the borders, I'll look around the city to see if there's anything suspicious or odd." She decided. "If you find anything, just use the golem to contact me."_

" _Yes, Lady Exorcist."_

 _Once they were finished, they left. The Finders began to scour the outskirts, their eyes like a hawk's when doing their job. Lenalee walked around the city on guard, seeing the behaviour of the people._

 _It didn't take long until a few hours had passed. Lenalee hadn't seen anything suspicious from within the city, and the only thing that the Finders found were that there had been a couple of akuma spotted outside, but they didn't wander into the city._

Strange...so there really is nothing happening, _Lenalee thought with a thinking face._

 _The light around the area had started to diminish as the sun started to go down. It was late afternoon. The street lamps started to light up upon this, but still let enough light illuminate the path for people's way._

It's getting late… _Lenalee glanced at the time and turned to her flying golem._

" _It's getting late. We'll finish soon." She spoke through the intercom._

" _Alright, Lady Exorcist." The Finders responded in unison._

 _Lenalee looked around and spotted a person holding a paper bag of groceries. They had short black hair, and they were wearing slightly oversized looking clothes._

 _The reason the exorcist looked over was that she saw someone following the person, though it wasn't as blatant obvious as a stalker, and wondered what was up. This person was wearing a scarf around the lower half of their face, so Lenalee couldn't see what they looked like._

 _She saw the person carrying the groceries turn a corner to a different street, and the person follow after them. Narrowing her eyes, Lenalee debated whether to follow them or not. But when she heard a loud scream from that direction, she didn't hesitate to bolt over, sprinting as fast as she could._

 _Once she reached the area, she skidded to a halt and her eyes widened when she saw the scene unfold before her. The scene she saw was in an alleyway between two buildings._

 _On the ground was the person with short black hair, their light blue eyes wide open with horror at the huge monster that had appeared before them. The person's groceries were scattered to the right of the alleyway, rolling into the puddle of dirt and mud from the rain the night before._

 _The short haired person inched backwards slowly, their eyes never leaving the monster before them._

 _Lenalee looked up and saw that the monster was an akuma, but only a level 1. It just fit in the small width of the space between the buildings, fitting well within shooting space of the short haired person._

 _Before Lenalee could instruct her Innocence to invoke, she saw a bright green glow from where the short haired person was, which momentarily distracted her. The feeling she got from that green glow was unmistakeable._

" _W-what?!" The person exclaimed, their voice pitch high, probably with fright._

 _That person reached inside their clothing and pulled out something long, and once they took it out, it elongated into a long spear like sword, the glow around it brightening immensely._

" _Innocence!" Lenalee whispered to herself, shocked to find that she found an accommodator. "Dark Boots!" She mumbled under her breath._

 _The black boots that covered her feet began to change in shape, changing her thigh high socks into knee high boots, with a hexagonal symbol that marked the side of her thighs. A green glow that resembled fire appeared around her ankles as she lurched forward towards the new Innocence accommodator._

 _The level 1 akuma, noticing Lenalee's interference, adjusted the barrels of the gun like objects that it had sticking out of its body, making them face the new accommodator. Soon, bullets made from dark matter shot out of its body with a loud explosive sound, making the new accommodator's eyes widen._

 _Lenalee was quicker than those bullets, quickly taking the other person from harm's way by jumping up to the rooftop. The person was quite light, which surprised the Dark Boots user._

" _Who?!" The person's voice contained shock._

" _Don't worry, you'll be safe." Lenalee smiled reassuringly, landing on the rooftop._

 _Before she could let the other person down, that person jumped from her arms, which astonished the teen. Her mouth opened in shock, seeing that the person didn't do it consciously, but rather, the Innocence had pulled them so that it flew down to where the alleyway was, bringing the accommodator along with it._

 _The new accommodator let out an inaudible scream, being led to where the monster was lurking. The sword had led them to the monster, who had noticed that they were coming from above. Readying and adjusting its guns, it fired. However, its fire came short when the sword sliced the monster in two, causing it to explode and expel smoke with it._

 _The person coughed from inhaling the smoke, which felt like a burning sensation in their chest. They were stunned by the view when they were brought up by Lenalee, who had witnessed the battle and brought them back up to see if they were hurt._

" _W-what…" The short haired accommodator stuttered. They stared at Lenalee, then the sword, then at Lenalee again, and so on and so forth._

 _Lenalee took a good look at the person. When she first saw them, she thought it was a boy due to what they were wearing, but now she had doubts. The voice was a lot higher, but it wasn't so feminine that it was a dead giveaway, but for all she knew, they could have been a young boy; their face had a feminine touch to it, but it was the type of femininity that could be mistaken for androgynous, as either a pretty boy or girl._

" _Are you okay?" Lenalee asked worriedly, checking up on the person. She checked to see if they had any wounds, but found none. She nodded once, "You don't seem to be hurt."_

" _W-what was that…?" The person's eyes widened and they turned towards the alleyway. "That…that…that monster…" Their throat felt dry and parched, as if they were deprived of water for days._

 _Lenalee stared at the person, who had turned back to look at her. "That monster is called an 'akuma'. It's a destructive machine that only destroys."_

" _Destroys…?" Their voice went up a higher pitch and they gulped thickly, their hand clutching around the sword._

" _Yes," Lenalee nodded, "But they can be destroyed by Innocence. Innocence are weapons like these boots I have," She pointed to her Dark Boots, "And like the sword you have." She pointed to the sword that was in their hand._

" _This…it was a hairpin before…" They seemed to have calmed down a little bit. They examined the sword and blinked a few times, "Innocence…"_

" _If it was a hairpin before, it should be able to revert back to it." Lenalee explained. "Since that is your Innocence, please take care of it." She let out an inaudible gasp, "Oh! I forgot to ask your name. My name is Lenalee."_

" _My name is Sin." They said slowly, unsure of what they were getting into._

" _Sin…how would you like to work for the Black Order? Your Innocence could help many people." Lenalee suggested, standing up. She offered her hand to Sin, who took it and pulled themselves up._

" _The Black Order…?" Sin questioned, "Does the Black Order use Innocence to kill…to destroy those, those monsters?"_

" _Yes."_

" _But…my friends…I can't leave them behind…"_

" _Your friends might be in danger if you have Innocence and the akuma find out that you have it." Lenalee spoke. That alerted Sin, whose eyes had widened upon her answer. "Akuma don't care who or what they kill. That's why we have Innocence—to destroy akuma so that they don't hurt people. That's my job. I'm an exorcist."_

" _Exorcist…" Sin's lips parted, then pressed together again when she thought of her friends that she'd be leaving behind. "If…If I can keep my friends safe, then...can I visit them when I have time?"_

 _Lenalee's dark eyes widened slightly, but then she looked to the ground in a brief flicker. "It will be hard to find a time to, considering exorcists are always on missions."_

 _Sin's expression morphed to one of shock. "I won't be able to see them…?" Her mouth had gone dry, like her throat. "Then…I won't become an exorcist!"_

" _It's not that you won't be able to see them, Sin. It's just that you might be too busy to see them." Lenalee said gently._

" _My friends are like my family to me…I want to be able to see them…" Sin's eyes went to the ground, a look of worry crossed bitterness in their expression._

 _Lenalee understood Sin's form of thinking. They were very similar to her own. She exhaled through her nose, "Sin, if you use your Innocence to destroy akuma, there will be less of them that can harm people. That includes your friends."_

 _Sin pressed their lips together, feeling that this was a very hard decision to make. While they wanted to see their friends again, they didn't want them to be in harm's way, and thus, Sin was conflicted._

" _Where are your friends now?" Lenalee asked._

" _They're at the train station." Sin replied quietly, thinking things through. "If…if I become an exorcist, I'll be able to make sure that there are less monsters—less_ akuma _that hurt my friends—and the people, right?"_

" _Yes."_

"… _is it okay for me to go to my friends and tell them that I'll be going off to another job?" Sin's voice was quiet, but Lenalee could just hear them._

" _Yes. Do you want me to come with you?" She offered._

 _Sin shook their head, "No, I'll be fine. Where should I meet you?"_

" _Hm…I'll wait at the city centre, how about that?" Lenalee suggested._

" _Okay. I'll see you there, then." Sin took a couple of steps forward, but then realised that they were on a rooftop and they had no idea how to get down. They turned back to Lenalee, "How do we get back down?"_

 _With a laugh, Lenalee brought Sin down onto the ground level with her via Dark Boots._

" _I'll be going now, then. I'll see you soon." Sin waved at Lenalee and went off to the station._

 _Lenalee looked to where her golem was, and found that it was by her side the whole time. She looked at it and spoke, "There will be a new person joining the Order." She was speaking to the Finders._

" _Okay." The Finders reported from the other side._

 _Lenalee went back to the scene of where the akuma had come from, which was inside the alleyway. She glanced around, seeing if her suspicions were right. When she saw that the same scarf that the person following Sin earlier was on the ground, she knew that she was indeed right._

 _The person that had been following Sin was an akuma._

But did they know that Sin had Innocence? _Lenalee thought, eyeing the area a little more._

 _Her eyes landed on the groceries that Sin had dropped from shock. There were many fruits and vegetables, along with some other cooking materials._

It's a shame all of them are going to waste… _Lenalee thought._

 _She turned on her heel and headed to the city centre, where she would wait for Sin. While waiting, she called the Finders back to the city, and told them to meet at the same place she was meeting Sin._

 _Lenalee waited for about 10 minutes before the Finders found her and they exchanged information. They waited for half an hour before Sin had come back to meet them. It was just becoming the evening when she arrived back._

" _Sin? What's wrong?" Lenalee asked, going up to the short haired accommodator._

 _Sin's eyes were red and looked like they had been crying. They sniffed a couple of times and shook their head with a small smile, "They gave me their blessings. I'll be going with you, Lenalee."_

" _I see." The exorcist stared at Sin, realising that she might have misunderstood the situation just a tad bit, thinking she was upset instead of just missing her friends._

" _Are you a girl or a boy?" One of the Finders asked directly at Sin. He was unsure of their gender, considering everything seemed like a trap._

 _The other Finder hit him, snapping, "That's rude! Apologize!"_

" _Oh, um, I'm sorry…"_

" _It's alright…" Sin smiled small at the Finder who asked the question, and an image of her friends flashed into her mind. "I'm a girl. I dress like this to stay warm."_

 _Lenalee was a little surprised that Sin took it with no offence, but she was glad that someone had asked the question. She would have found out sooner or later, but she was glad to find out sooner._

 _The Finder gulped and apologized again, saying that he was in the wrong._

" _For tonight, we'll have to stay here. It's too dark and dangerous to go out at night, so we should rest up before heading off tomorrow." Lenalee looked up at the sky, seeing gleams of light that belonged to distant stars thousands of light years away._

" _What about the mission, Lady Exorcist?" One of the Finders questioned._

" _Since there wasn't anything out of the ordinary, it should be fine to go back." She spoke after a brief moment of thinking._

 _Sin followed Lenalee's gaze up towards the sky and felt nostalgia creep up on her._

" _Okay, let's go have dinner." Lenalee clapped her hands together. "Anyone have any preferences?"_

" _Whatever you choose, Lady Exorcist."_

" _Anything is fine." Sin smiled._

 _Lenalee led them to the closest restaurant, then afterwards, they rented out a couple of rooms to stay in at the hotel to rest._

 _The next day, they were on their way back to the Black order._

* * *

"To believe that was just a couple days ago…" Lenalee mumbled to herself, finishing off the last sheet. She pulled the papers from the clipboard and put them into a file specifically for Sin's exorcist information.

 _Which reminds me…_ Lenalee paused for a brief moment, _how is her training with Kanda going?_

* * *

Sin let out a silent and suffocated groan when she awoke the next morning, feeling the muscles in her body burning with passion. Her head hit the pillow again and she tried to move her limbs again, but she could barely do it. It was incredibly sore.

She remembered back to the training session the day before with Kanda, and a memory of his demonic face flashed in her mind, making her go pale, knowing that she would have to face him again today.

With a small sniff, she closed her eyes and prayed that Kanda wasn't as harsh as he was yesterday, before trying to, and failing miserably, to get up.

In the end, it took her a very long time to get out of her bed, dressed and out the door. Walking to the cafeteria was the most painful thing she had experienced for a long time, and it reminded her of the days when she used to do days on end of dancing amongst other things.

"Hm? Morning, Sin!" The bright, chirpy voice she heard; she knew exactly who it belonged to, and was surprised they came back from their mission so quickly. "Are you okay? You're holding onto the rails pretty tightly."

Sin smiled when she saw Lavi's face. He was right beside her, walking at her slow pace. "I'm…fine…" She accidently hit her toe on one of the poles and gasped soundlessly in pain, feeling it go up her foot and to her leg.

Lavi had a look of surprise on his face, seeing her like this. He remembered her yesterday, being all fine and completely normal. But now she needed help walking?

"Did something happen yesterday?" Lavi asked. He was on a mission most of the day and only got back just then, so he was on his way to his room to nap when he came across the newbie.

"Training…" Sin looked away, feeling the pain from the training come back to haunt her. She proceeded to make her way towards the cafeteria.

"Training?" Lavi racked through his brain, wondering why she would say that, and then remembered that he heard something interesting when he came back in the morning. He had overhead some people talking about Kanda training the new girl and that he was a demon from hell for his training methods.

 _It might be just that…_ Lavi laughed a little, placing a hand on Sin's head, ruffling it lightly. "You'll get through it."

Seeing this gesture from the brightly coloured red head, Sin couldn't help but tear up slightly when remembering something dear.

"Ah! What? Don't cry!" Lavi panicked slightly, seeing that her eyes had become more watery.

 _Was the training lesson_ that _hard?_ Lavi thought with slight doubt.

Sin shook her head and smiled at him. Though she was smiling, Lavi could see the pain behind that smile.

He took his hand off her head, wondering if ruffling people's hair was a bad thing. He forced a smile on his face, "Do you need any help getting to the cafeteria?"

"Thanks, Lavi. I think I'll be fine, though. I'll try to get there by myself…" Sin tried to walk by herself and nearly stumbled, but steadied herself. She could feel the burning soreness in her legs, but she was determined to make it to get food.

Lavi was on standby and was ready to catch her when she falls, but since she had caught herself, he wasn't needed.

He watched after her as she headed to the cafeteria at the pace of a snail, which amused the Bookman apprentice. He didn't want her to fall so easily, but he was sure that she could make it, so he just watched, just in case. When she was out of his sight, he went back to his room, feeling something nudging at the back of his mind.

The old panda wasn't there, thus he had the whole room to himself. Lavi lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what he was wondering about. He was thinking of something, but it was subtle and he couldn't recall it.

 _What was I thinking about?_


	4. Chapter 3

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #3

* * *

"A thousand dreams trickle back to the earth, on the night when the silver eyes were trembling, the shining you was born, across millions of years, the prayers have already returned back to the earth."

* * *

The Finders that gathered at the cafeteria after a long days' worth of hard work and training were a group that were present during Kanda's demon training session from hell.

Chowing down on their food, the Finders expressed their pity for the rookie that had been told to take lessons. They shook their heads and sighed deeply, remembering the shouting and yelling from the training hall.

"Poor newbie…" One of the Finders sighed.

"I heard it was a girl that he was training." Another expressed. "Apparently she doesn't know how to use her Innocence so she's training with Kanda to get better."

"Isn't it good that he's training her? He's a successful exorcist…with a shitty attitude." One snorted.

"You were there, weren't you? Didn't you hear him yelling the whole time?" One raised a brow.

"Maybe he's just in a bad mood." One shrugged.

"He's always in a bad mood." One retorted.

Lenalee eavesdropped on their conversation, finding it interesting. She knew that Sin hadn't come down to eat yet, and wondered if she was still training. Kanda hadn't come down either.

 _I guess I'll go check on them later,_ she thought, hurrying up her eating pace. She quickly finished up and headed out, thanking Jerry for the food.

When she reached the training halls, she took a glance inside, only to see that they were indeed still training. She watched from the sidelines a little, seeing if what the Finders said was true.

"Idiot, you're doing it the wrong way!" Kanda snapped, hitting her on the head with the wooden sword. "You hold it like this." He did a demonstration.

"Ouch!" Sin sucked in her lips and kneaded her lips together, looking at how Kanda did it. The hit to the head wasn't as hard as she thought it would be, but it still hurt.

She didn't complain any more than she did, considering that it was now almost a normal routine for him to shout at her and scold her. But to a degree, Sin thought that she deserved it, since she _was_ doing it wrong.

"Like this?" She questioned, holding it the exact same way as Mugen's accommodator.

The beautiful exorcist looked down at her hands but didn't say a word of praise, instead, he continued on with the lesson. "Lunge it forward." Like before, he did a demonstration, in which the girl followed.

"TOO SLOW!" Kanda barked. Sin tried yet again, but he kept telling her she was too slow, and thus she kept doing it.

Lenalee sweat dropped behind the door. It wasn't as bad as what the Finders had exaggerated it to be, but it was still on a tougher level than other teachers.

 _I'm surprised Kanda can hold his patience for this long,_ Lenalee smiled small. She took a side step and entered the training halls, walking up to an area close to where they were, but not close enough to get hit.

"Have you had a break yet?" Lenalee asked in between Kanda's snapping and Sin's efforts.

"Not until she knows how to do a lunge!" Kanda glared at the new exorcist.

Lenalee tittered, worried about how long that would take. She was worried about Sin, since she seemed to be really sore that morning.

 _I wonder how she's coping now…_ she thought, examining the older girl.

She seemed completely fine to Lenalee, but if she looked closer, she could see that her arms and legs were trembling, but she was trying her best to stop it and make it look like she wasn't.

"Do it again." Kanda ordered.

"Hah!" Sin lunged forward as fast as she could with the technique he taught her, hoping that this was the last one.

Inside, it was very hard for her to control her movements. She still hadn't recovered from the soreness of the day before, and they were continuing with more techniques in this lesson. She barely had a break and thus has been working for a very long time, the only decent break being for lunch.

Kanda was silent after that one, then nodded once. "Lesson's done."

"Yes!" Sin grinned, sighing in relief. She raised her arms up and cheered for herself, happy that she had gone through with the lesson. But it didn't last long, and she crumpled to the ground, feeling the after effects of a hard workout.

"Sin!" Lenalee kneeled down next to the girl, seeing if she was alright. Though she was worried, she saw that Sin had a big smile on her face from the completion of that lesson, which eased her concerns. "Don't worry me like that."

"Sorry, Lena. I'm just…so tired…" Sin began to sleep soundly, which surprised the two exorcists.

"She's asleep…" Lenalee laughed and looked up to Kanda, who was picking up the wooden swords and putting them back where they were. He threw away one that he had broken when they were training.

"Kanda, can you help carry her?" Lenalee requested.

The male stopped in his steps and looked over his shoulder, grabbing his jacket and throwing it on. He clicked his tongue and went over, picking up the sleeping woman. "Stop falling asleep in stupid places you idiot." He muttered to the sleeping one.

"I'll lead you to her room." Lenalee said, ignoring his comment. She led him to the newcomer's room and he set her on the bed, before leaving with a grunt.

Lenalee glanced around the room, seeing that it was very minimally furnished. She quickly went out, but a gentle whisper from the sleeping woman made her stop in her steps.

"I…miss you…"

* * *

"How's her progress so far, Kanda?" Komui questioned, his fingers intertwined together, leaning on the desk. He had just called the long haired male into his office to tell him a few things, and ask about some other stuff too.

"Tch." Kanda made a face when he remembered the days he had to train the newbie.

"I'm just going to assume that she's getting better, but at a slow pace." Komui smiled. He saw Kanda's eye twitch but continued along his way, picking up a file and holding it out in front of him. "Kanda, a mission for you."

The exorcist walked forward, grabbing the file out of the Chief's hand. He flipped through it, skimming the pages.

"You will leave tonight." Komui informed. "After dinner."

Mugen's accommodator only nodded before leaving.

* * *

"Sin!"

Said woman turned in response, seeing Lena coming up to her. She was just about to go into the training room to train with Kanda. She stopped in her tracks when seeing her fellow Asian friend.

"Good morning, Lena." Sin greeted.

"Good morning!" Lenalee said cheerfully. She went straight to business, "Kanda won't be training you today, since he's going to be on a mission. He won't be back for a few days."

Surprise etched itself on Sin's face and she nodded slowly, "I see. Thanks for telling me." She paused for a brief moment, "Maybe I'll just train by myself for the time being…"

"Oh! About that, you're supposed to take today less stressfully, so don't train too much. Excessive training isn't too good on your body." The Dark Boots accommodator leaned forward slightly, "Later today, we'll do some training with your Innocence."

"Training with my Innocence?" Sin questioned. She raised her brow a little, remembering one major detail, "It should still be with the Science Division?"

Lenalee nodded, "Yup! They finished up the holder for you and later they'll be done with your uniform. You can pick it up anytime today, and then we'll go from there."

"Okay! Contact me via the golems?" Sin pointed to the one that had been flying around her since the morning started.

"Yes. I've got a few errands to run, so you're free to train for a few hours." Lenalee waved at the older woman and went off, "I'll see you later!"

"Later, Lena." Sin watched Lenalee go, making sure to remember the words she spoke.

She didn't want to destroy her body with excessive training, but she felt like she really needed to do some training by herself or else Kanda would shout at her, for being both a lazy ass and not being diligent enough.

A small sigh escaped her lips and she walked inside the training hall, beginning her training.

* * *

"Last time, you activated your Innocence during the battle between Lenalee and that akuma that stalked you." Komui had called Sin and Lenalee to his office to discuss a few things. He wanted to make sure he knew how her Innocence was holding up, and whether or not she knew how to activate it.

 _Innocence Training 101,_ Komui thought. He smiled a little at himself when he saw the clueless expression Sin was making.

"Yes…it activated by itself, actually." Sin looked up at the ceiling while thinking of that situation.

"It was like that when you came to us, wasn't it? The shape of a spear sword."

"Yes."

"It wasn't until Hevlaska interfered that it could revert back to normal; to a hairpin, right?"

"Yes."

Komui was just going over his notes, asking her again since she came to the Order, to make sure the information was valid. "Okay, all good."

"I thought we were going to train my Innocence…?" Sin tilted her head in confusion.

"We _are_ going to train your Innocence. But not exactly for combat, yet." Komui informed with a wink.

"Huh?"

"According to what Lenalee has seen, as well as by your own word, it's easy to see what needs to be done before you go out on missions. If you do otherwise, you'll be easy prey." The Chief put up one finger, "First of all, you need to learn how to activate your Innocence. Apart from activating it once, if you can't invoke again, then that pretty much defeats the purpose of the training that you're undertaking."

"Ah…I see." Sin nodded a couple of times, agreeing with him.

"I'll meet you at the training grounds after you've changed into your uniform and taken back your Innocence." Komui smiled.

* * *

"It fits you well." Lenalee commented, surprised at how well the exorcist uniform fitted. Even the design that Sin specifically requested was there, done very well by Johnny.

Johnny grinned as he watched Sin look at herself wearing the uniform. It was fun to put her design in, and it worked out well in the end.

"We made the uniform with materials that we used for Kanda's uniform." Johnny explained, seeing how Sin was inspecting at the material. She looked up in curiosity. Johnny elaborated, "Since your Innocence seems to resemble Kanda's, we made it so that the uniform was made with a material that could allow sweat to dry quickly, since you're a close range type combatant. For the other parts that weren't that, we made it with a flexible material since you seem to move agilely."

"Agilely?" Sin shook her head and waved her hand to dismiss the idea, "I'm not that at all!"

"Oh?" Johnny laughed, "In Kanda's report he said that you were agile and fast, but lacked the right footwork and the like."

"Hah?!" Sin felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment from her mentor's criticism.

"I think he said your footwork wasn't like that of a fighter, but rather a dancer?" Johnny scratched his head, trying to remember when Kanda complained that it wasn't his fault that her footwork wasn't good enough. "Yeah, something like that."

Sin was silent, then laughed lightly, "I guess so. The footwork must be very different from dancing."

"Even so!" Johnny spoke loudly, making the woman jump in her spot. "You can do it! He may be a harsh person but…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say. He racked his head for a word, "Uh, doesn't let you off sloppily?"

Lenalee burst out in laughter, finding it hilarious. Soon, the two of them were just laughing, leaving Sin to stand there in confusion, having no idea what was happening.

"Um…where can I get my Innocence?" Sin interrupted. She felt awkward at how she was the odd one out.

"Oh, I have it here." Johnny grinned and pulled out something from his lab pocket, handing it to Sin. "It looks plain, but your initials are on the back." Johnny flipped over the holster that would hold her Innocence, showing her what it looked like. At the back, there was a gold coloured embroidery of her initials, S.D.

Sin took it into her hands and thanked the scientist for making it and doing such a good job. Johnny blushed and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Thanks, Johnny. We're going to test out her Innocence now, so we can't stay any longer." Lenalee said apologetically.

"It's okay. I still have lots of paperwork to do." Johnny smiled, but behind that smile was the ghost of his overworked spirit.

"Good luck!" Sin held her two arms bent at chest height into fists. "Do your best!"

Johnny beamed and nodded. "I'll see you two later!"

* * *

"From what I can tell, you can activate it when you're under a great deal of pressure and have the desire to do something." Komui had his thinking face on, deep in thought. He had his hand where his chin was, a habit that he did when pondering. "So then, why doesn't it stop invoking after?"

They were half way through the session. Sin had managed to invoke her Innocence, but she wasn't able to bring it back to its normal size.

"This is troubling…" She mumbled, staring at the spear sword in her hand. It was heavier than those wooden sticks that she trained with.

 _Innocence…_ She thought of the word, but nothing really came to mind. It was still kind of mysterious to her, how such a thing could become another, destructive thing that destroys those things called akuma.

Her eyes clouded over when she thought of the many people who've suffered against these creatures, and the Noah family that was their creator.

 _They should be fine,_ Sin convinced herself. _As long as they're safe, I'm happy._

"Maybe we should ask Hevlaska?" Lenalee piped up. She was jotting down a few notes for the record, regarding Sin's Innocence. "She reverted it back to normal before."

"…I don't think there's a need for that, anymore." Komui's dark irises had flickered to Sin's hand, seeing the Innocence return to its normal shape. "It took longer than we expected, but we don't need to take her to Hevlaska now."

"Eh." Sin stared at the hairpin that was formerly a spear sword, with shock.

 _It reverted?!_

He clapped his hands together, "Well! Let's do this a few more times, so you get the gist of it!"

* * *

 _As long as they are safe, I'm happy._

Sin touched her forehead, staring at the rain that had stuck to the window, listening to the storm outside. Rainy days made her feel nostalgic about her younger years.

She had finished the Innocence invoking session earlier, and was now able to invoke to her will. It surprised her how quickly she adapted, and how her Innocence adapted. It was strange, really. However, it left her tired and needing plenty of rest.

Only around a week or so had passed and she was doing all sorts of things at the Order, a complete 180 from the stuff she was doing before.

 _I wonder how they're faring._

Sin flopped onto the bed and held her right arm in the air, staring at her hand. It was dark since she didn't turn the light on, but she could see the curves of shadows that consumed her hand.

 _ **Not even you can stop my return.**_

Sin abruptly jolted upright, her sky blue eyes widening with shock. She hurriedly looked around the room, but she didn't see anybody, nor did she hear anything. Her heart was beating erratically and a fear instilled inside her – the voice that spoke was calm and distorted, but it was frightening.

She stared at her slightly trembling hand, slowly clenching it into a fist.

 _What…what_ was _that?_

* * *

"Lenalee, I think it's time we have her in combat." Komui was pondering over this issue by himself, wondering if he should do it or not. He was weighing in all the options, but ultimately decided for it, bringing in his little sister to see if she agreed or not.

Lenalee had a blank expression on her face, processing her brother's words. "A mission?"

"No. Just weapon control and the like." Komui smiled.

Lena averted her gaze. Kanda's irritated expression popped into her head, and the screams of agony from the Finders that would dare train with him. She held a stiff smile, imaging her friend faring against one of the strongest.

"It'll be a good experience for her – I'll tell Kanda to hold back. How about it?"

The Dark Boots user wasn't sure at all, and made a face of uncertainty. He had recently gotten back from a mission so she expected him to be grumpy.

"I'm worried." She finally said.

"It'll be fine. She'll learn things quicker this way." Komui turned to the golem, "Kanda, Sin, come to my office."

Lenalee silently prayed for her friend, hoping that Kanda doesn't hurt her too much. After all, he could be a real brute when fighting.

* * *

"Oi…"

The sound of his threatening tone of voice scared Sin, making her jump slightly. She held onto her Innocence tightly around the handle, forcing her lips to curl upwards just slightly. Her eyes were wide open, though, and it made her look more afraid than she wanted.

She turned to face Kanda, who was standing there with Mugen leaning against his shoulder and neck. "Y-yes…?"

He shot a glare at her which made her yelp. "You're holding it the wrong way." His voice was surprisingly normal sounding. Surprised, the girl made that exact expression when the male came over, staring at her hands. With his left hand, he pointed at her hands, "The right hand goes on top of the left."

"O-oh, okay…" Sin fumbled to adjust.

Just watching her frustrated the Mugen user and he used the blunt side of his sword to hit her atop the head, "You! Stop fumbling and just do it already! You're annoying!"

Sin nodded fervently and hurriedly did just that, her hands shaking slightly. She pointed the sword at Kanda, "Okay! Let's spar!"

The male scoffed, "You're 1000 years too early to defeat me."

"Of course! I just started." Sin retorted.

Lenalee, who stood on the sidelines, chuckled. She wasn't used to seeing and hearing Sin say those things with the all confident pose, but it was interesting when she did.

 _She's a strange one. Dignified and refined, but dressed in rags. Scared and hopeless, but fearless and confident._

Lenalee giggled at her thoughts.

 _Well, only sometimes, anyway._

* * *

Lavi, who was called into Komui's office after Kanda and Sin left, stood there with a confused expression. "Why did you call me in here?"

"…I just wanted to tell you that you'll go on this mission, with Bookman." Komui slid forward a closed clipboard. He drank some Blue Mountain coffee afterwards. "There'll probably be another mission right after, so you might not even get any rest." Komui sounded slightly apologetic. He placed his cup down.

Lavi took the clipboard and looked through its contents, "That's fine. It can't be helped."

Komui's tone became serious, "Stay safe, Lavi."

With a smile and a wave of the hand, Lavi left.

"Will do."


	5. Chapter 4

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #4

* * *

"Do you know why there is no such thing as God?"

A smile, then a pause.

"God—"

* * *

Sin's blue eyes opened wide as she unconsciously clenched onto her covers. Feeling that her hands hurt slightly, she only then realised that her nails were digging into her palms. She relaxed her hands and sighed deeply, sitting up. Her legs dangled off the bed as she stared at the ground, wondering what she was dreaming about.

She didn't feel any different from the day before, well, maybe except for her aching limbs, but she felt like she had dreamed of something sinister.

 _What exactly did I dream about?_ Sin couldn't recall any details at all, and pressed two fingers to her forehead, closing her eyes, to concentrate.

After a moment, she opened them again and pressed her lips into a tight line.

 _I can't remember._

A gentle knock on her door made the girl look up, wondering who it was at this hour. It was about 5am.

"Yes?" She called. "Who is it?" She didn't even bother to go to the door, being a little out of it.

The door opened a little, letting some light in, before a head peaked through. Sin couldn't see exactly who it was, but she felt that the silhouette was quite familiar.

"Sin? Are you awake?" It was Lenalee. Even in the early hours of the morning, she sounded completely fine and had no sign of fatigue.

"Yeah…" Sin rubbed her eyes and squinted to adjust her vision. She stood up, heading to the door.

Lenalee opened the door fully, taking a couple of steps until she was inside her friend's room. "Sorry for waking you." She said apologetically.

Sin stretched and yawned, accidently combining her yawn and words, "It'sh o-kway…"

Lena giggled and she turned on the lights, "The reason I'm here so early is because we have a mission that we're leaving for after breakfast."

"Mission?" Sin opened one eye as she continued stretching.

The younger Chinese girl nodded, "It's your first mission, so I'll be going with you. We're investigating the disappearances of a few travellers in the outskirts of a city in France."

"Disappearances…?" Sin yawned again. She was really tired, but she somehow managed to keep her attention span long enough for Lenalee.

"Yes," Lena nodded, "I'll explain later when you're fully awake. We'll be leaving at 8." With a smile and wave, she left.

The new exorcist nodded slowly to herself, feeling the sleepiness envelop her, but snapped her mind awake when she realised she was going to be on a mission. Her _first_ mission.

 _A mission involving missing travellers…?_ Sin yawned, walking over to go brush her hair and change. _Doesn't that mean that there'll be akuma and possibly even Innocence there…?_

"Mmm…I want to sleep…" Sin mumbled to herself, walking out her door.

And she yawned yet again.

* * *

"So we'll be going to Bordeaux, in the south west of France." Lenalee handed Sin the clipboard, detailing the mission as she skimmed through the papers. "Like I said before, we'll be investigating the area around there too, especially the area where they vanished."

"It says here that they vanished in a…flower field?" Sin was a little unsure. It sounded like something out of a novel, but she knew that, from what her peers have said, that the reality was that it was possible for it to happen if it involved Innocence or akuma.

Lenalee nodded, "That's right. There haven't been many reports of the actual sightings so far, so we don't know why they disappeared. The villagers said that travellers who would go and check out the flower fields, which was said to be one of the most beautiful sights there, would disappear."

Sin flipped to the second page, seeing a black and white image of the flower field. Indeed, it was a beautiful sight. Even in a still picture, she could see that there were a large variety of flowers she hadn't seen before.

"It's strange though," Lenalee turned the page for Sin, pushing down the clipboard a little so that she could see. The next page contained a map of the area that they were going. She pointed to the area near the labelled city, "This is where the flower fields are. See here," her finger moved a little to an area which had a different colouration and texture, "This is the mountains. According to the Finders that we sent there to do a preliminary check-up, we found that the mountains are dangerous and it would be difficult to even climb them or go to the other side."

"So there's only one 'real' entrance." Sin concluded. She stared at the map. She hadn't seen one in a while, and the last one she'd seen was one where it was argued over to see which way to go. Thinking of that moment, the corner of her lips started to tug up, but she forced them down.

 _It's not the time to think about these things. I need to focus on the mission._

"Yes. On the other side of the fields near the mountains, there are watchers from the village that live there, to make sure no one goes into the mountains. Most travellers wouldn't dare climb a mountain like that, and even the most dumbest of travellers would have been told off by them." The Dark Boots user took her hand off the clipboard, "I don't have all the information from the Finders, just the gist of it. They'll be explaining more when we arrive."

Sin glanced at her friend for a moment, then her blue eyes went back down to the clipboard. She skimmed through the pages a few more times, making sure she had the information in her head.

 _This is nothing like what I used to do…_ Sin thought for a moment, then shook her head and continued reading.

 _Okay, so aside from Lena's information, it says that the travellers disappeared, but their stuff remains where they disappeared from, along with their bloodstained clothes. Oh? What's this? There were ashes in the clothes? Hm…_ Sin flipped to the page where there was the picture of the flower field. Her eyes navigated through the image, trying to find something, anything. _There's nothing…?_

She hummed a light tune, pondering. _I'm sure that Lenalee would have already figured it out…_

"Lena, it's not just speculation that they were killed by akuma, is it?" Sin asked.

Lenalee raised her brows in mild surprise, _so she caught on._

"No, it's not." Lena's purple eyes flickered to the clipboard, then at Sin again, "How did you figure it out?"

 _Is she testing me?_ Sin thought with wonder. Sure, she knew Lenalee was smart, but she wondered why she was asking when it was all written inside the papers on the clipboard. _Interesting. I haven't been asked this in ages._

"In the documents, it's stated that the travellers that disappeared, had left their stuff somewhere in the fields. It even said that there was bloodstained clothing, and ashes. The key word here is 'ashes'. I read a few books about akuma when I had some free time, and it all said that after an akuma kills, the targets crumble to ash after being infected by the virus." Sin paused for a brief moment, "Isn't that the case here, too?"

Lenalee's lips curled into a smile, "That's exactly right."

"There are other random possibilities, such as the traveller getting killed or injured, thus staining their clothes, and leaving without their clothes. However that doesn't explain the ashes and—" Sin rambled on, thinking of possible things that could happen.

"S-Sin…?" Lenalee blinked a few times, a stunned expression on her face. She didn't expect her to keep talking.

 _Maybe she read too many detective novels…_ Lenalee chuckled, _though to put two and two together she doesn't seem like the type to have been doing miscellaneous work here and there, like she told me before._

"—except those are highly unlikely." Sin finished, tapping her chin. She sighed and leaned back, "I'd say it was definitely the work of akuma."

"That's the conclusion we came to, too." Lenalee shoved aside her thoughts.

"I'm a little confused though, is this the work of one akuma or several akuma? And the people who act as watchers on the mountain side, how come they've never seen the akuma? Don't you find it strange, Lena?" Sin placed the clipboard to the side.

 _Ah…there it is again,_ Lenalee noted.

"I thought about that too, but we don't have all the information here. I guess we'll just have to wait until we reach the place." Lenalee smiled.

"I guess so." Sin yawned, stretching a little bit.

* * *

After getting information from the Finders, they headed out to the outskirts where the flower fields lie.

"Wah…" Sin expressed her awe when they neared it. It was like an explosion of colour, and the fragrance that wafted from the place was refreshing.

 _I can't believe this was the place that akuma came to kill…_ Sin sighed through her nose.

"Lady Exorcists, we'll lead you to where the travellers' items were left. The scene has remained untouched and the other Finders have sealed off the area." One of the Finders raised his arm forward to lead the way.

They followed him, and as they ventured through the fields, Sin couldn't help but notice that the flowers were all arranged like a grid. One type of flower would grow confined in a square area, and others would too. It was arranged very neatly and meticulously, as if it was taken care of everyday.

 _It's so beautiful…maybe those living near the mountain take care of it?_ Sin wondered, heading forward.

"Here we are, Lady Exorcists." The Finders stopped once they saw their other comrades that had stayed behind to guard the scene. They led the females there.

"There have been a total of 8 missing travellers, as indicated by the items left behind in this area." The Finder on the scene originally had taken over, pointing at the other piles of stuff that were scattered about, in between the flower beds and path. He took them over to near the piles of clothes and backpacks, "The picture that was sent to HQ was of the latest victim. These are the earlier victims." He leaned down to one of the piles and rummaged through, finding a flower that was hidden in the ash. "All the earlier victims had a flower on their person—I mean, their ashes, from this flower field."

"A flower?" Sin questioned. She took a good look at the one that the Finder held, recognising it as a lily.

 _If I remember correctly, there was a patch of lilies growing here…_ Sin eyed the bed of flowers nearby, seeing lilies.

"You said there was a flower in each pile of ash except for the one over…" Lenalee paused, glancing at all the piles of ash and leftover stuff, "Where's the latest victim?"

"It was closer to the mountain." The Finder explained.

"The flowers, are they all of the same kind?" Lena asked.

The Finders all exchanged glances, but shook their head. "There are different ones, such as irises, roses, lily of the valley and tulips."

"They're all different…" Sin and Lena spoke simultaneously.

"I'm just going to check out the flower fields a little." Sin headed over to the flower fields, where she observed the different kinds of flowers that swayed gently in the wind.

 _Lilies…tulips…roses…lily of the valley…irises…_ She thought, pondering. _Why are flowers all connecting them…? And how come the last victim was all the way near the mountain…? What's this akuma thinking?_

"Sin, let's go speak to the people living near the mountain." Lenalee came up next to her friend and hooked her arm, pulling her along.

"Eh, ah, okay…"

* * *

"So none of you saw anything?" Lenalee looked around the small crowd of people that were gathered around them. They had called them here so that they could talk in one place rather than visit each home individually.

There were many murmurs and shakes of heads.

"I saw something…!" A little boy's outburst caught the attention of everyone in the crowd, as he pushed past to make it to the front.

"What did you see?" Sin leaned down slightly. He looked to be no younger than 8, with dishevelled brown hair and bright brown eyes.

"I saw…a _HUGE_ ," He lifted his arms and extended the vowel, showing off how big it was with his arms, "monster thing! It looked like a machine thing with lots of things that shot out of it!"

 _An akuma._ Sin and Lenalee had the same thoughts.

 _Is he talking about Level 1?_ Lenalee questioned, with the image of the machine like akuma in her head.

"What did that huge monster do? Did it harm anybody?" Lenalee asked.

"Hm…I don't know, I couldn't see what it was doing. I just saw it shooting once, and then there was a thump. When I went to see what was wrong, there was one of those piles outside and the monster thing wasn't there anymore." The kid rubbed his stomach, "I even ran really fast to see what was happening! But I didn't see anything!" He complained, pouting.

"Louis! I told you not to say anything!" A male's voice said loudly.

He wasn't in the crowd to begin with, but his voice got louder as he came by, though it wasn't so that he was shouting. He pushed to the front of the crowd and looked at the two exorcists before the boy, a hand on his head.

"But, father…! They need help! Didn't you say that we have to help people if they need it?" Louis, the little boy, looked up at his father.

"That's true, but these people _are_ here to help." The father turned to look at the females, "I am Hugo, Louis's father. I hope you can forgive him, he says some outrageous things."

"Outrageous things?" Sin questioned, standing back up fully.

"Yes." Hugo sighed, running his hands through the same dishevelled brown hair, "He says he sees certain things, but aren't possible. There's no such thing as a monster here."

Sin and Lenalee exchanged silent glances, as if knowing exactly what they had to do.

"Let's speak inside, shall we?" Sin took the initiative, "Why don't you tell us some more about these parts; we'd also like to speak to your son as well."

"Alright. Come along." Hugo led the way to his home. Only one Finder went with the exorcists, whilst the others stayed behind to guard the scene and the others questioned the remaining that lived near the mountain.

"I'll make some tea." Hugo went off to the kitchen.

Sin and Lena took a seat at the table, which had 4 seats. The Finder was fine standing.

"Miss Exorcists! I'm telling the truth! Father doesn't believe me, but I know what I saw! It's not a lie, I swear!" Louis waved his arms around, but then sighed and crossed his arms, "He's always like this – he never believes a word I say, and thinks that it's all just a fairy tale."

"Louis, what you told us, was 100% true, wasn't it?" Sin leaned forward slightly, staring straight into the boy's eyes.

Louis nodded and stared straight back, almost like a defiant little boy.

 _Kind of reminds me of…on a side note, I don't have any qualms about his story, but I wonder why his father doesn't believe him?_ Sin thought.

A cup of hot tea was set down in front of Sin and Lenalee. The Finder was offered one too but he declined.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Mr Hugo." Sin smiled and warmed her hands with the cup.

"Hugo is fine."

"Alright. Hugo, why didn't you believe what your son was saying earlier?" Sin started off.

"Louis…likes fairy tales." Hugo started. "Ever since he was young, he would say things like 'there's a witch here!' or 'there are monsters in the mountain!'. As there was no such thing, I've told him repeatedly but he doesn't listen to me." He sighed. "I'm sorry if this hinders your investigation," he leaned forward in an apologetic bow.

"There is no need to bow, Hugo." Lenalee spoke up, shaking her hands.

"You said, 'I've'. Is it just you and Louis living here?" Sin asked.

"No. My wife is currently in the city, so she won't be back till next week. My daughter, Louis's sister, died from an illness not too long back." Hugo's eyes expressed sadness as his eyes glazed over. He stared into his cup of tea.

Lenalee nudged Sin, pointing to the picture on the wall not too far from where they were. It was right next to the door, next to a mirror. It showed a family of 4. Hugo and Louis was in the picture, but they looked younger there. Hugo's wife was next to him, and holding onto Louis was a girl. She looked older than Louis, maybe around 17 or 18.

"Yes…that's her. Her name was Adeline." Hugo turned around so that he could look at the picture as well. "She loved flowers. The flower field outside, she was the one who planted every single one of them." Hugo smiled when he remembered a fond memory. "Now they're taken care of by her boyfriend."

"Your daughter was the one who planted all those flowers?" Sin asked incredulously. "There's a lot there! How did she manage that? Her boyfriend that takes care of them, does he live here?"

"He does. He lives a couple of doors down. His name is Leo. He's a sweet boy, but sickness overcame him when Adeline passed. However, he seems better now." Hugo spoke sadly. "Adeline had planted them all, and Leo and she both looked after them."

The older exorcist nodded her head slowly, the mind's mechanisms working like gears in clockwork. She looked at Louis, "Louis, what was your sister like?"

"She was a really nice sister! She always took care of me!" Louis grinned. His smile faltered as he stared at the table, "But I miss her a lot. Father says she's gone to the sky and is watching over us…so I try my best to be a good boy!"

"That's something to be proud of, Louis. Good job." Sin smiled at him. Louis beamed after seeing her smile.

"Thank you, Hugo, for telling us this. We're a bit tight on time, so we're going to visit Leo." Lenalee thanked Hugo, and the two exorcists left.

"Is Leo at home now?" Lenalee questioned the Finder. The information that they got at Hugo's was pretty invaluable.

"He should be. Last time we checked, the people haven't really gone, and we've got a list of those who left and are coming back." The Finder responded with a nod.

"Sin." Lena looked at her friend, nodding once they made eye contact. They had the same thoughts and conclusions based on what Hugo had told them.

The Finders led them to where Leo lived. He opened the door on the first knock. He had blonde hair, which was long and tied into a low ponytail, and purple eyes that were reminiscent of the irises in the field. He looked tired though, with bags under his eyes.

"Ah…who are you?" He asked, drowsiness evident in his voice.

"We're here to ask some questions about the disappearing travellers?" Lenalee smiled.

"Ah…come in…" Leo sounded even more tired than before, but he moved out of the way to let them in.

"So what about those missing travellers?" Leo questioned, leaning against the wall.

His house was minimally decorated, but whatever had any form of decoration, had something to do with flowers, or his girlfriend.

Sin was busy looking around to see if anything was of interest, and a fresh flower in a glass vase caught her eye.

"Did you happen to see anything when the travellers were attacked?" Lena enquired.

"I heard screams, but they weren't at all that audible. Just… _little_ screams, really. Not enough to wake a town or give them something to go crazy about."

"How do you know about that?"

"I was in the fields. I had to take care of the flowers. I planted some new bulbs that day."

"That day?"

"Yes. They were Adeline's favourite. Irises."

"Does that mean you were at the scene when that huge monster, as Louis described, attacked the travellers?"

"A huge monster? I…wouldn't call it that."

Sin and Lenalee held a moment of confusion. Leo was cryptic and mysterious, but also strangely suspicious.

 _It sounds like he's admitting to it, but at the same time, he's not?_ Lenalee thought.

 _Hm…_ Sin hummed in her head. "Leo, those flowers in the field are very beautiful. Am I able to take one?"

Leo stared at Sin for a long moment, brows furrowing slightly. He sighed through his nose and said, "Yes. That's fine. Which one did you want? We'll go pick it now."

"I want an iris. I would like to visit Adeline's grave to pay my respects." Sin stood up and followed Leo out.

Leo glanced at Sin strangely before he had gone out, as if she were an alien.

Lenalee and the Finder exchanged glances, unsure of what the other exorcist had in plan. She didn't seem to be following much of the flow of the conversation, but it seemed like she knew what she was doing.

They arrived on the fields, heading over to the flower beds that were meticulously taken care of. The irises grew in a large square patch.

"Go ahead. Choose one you like." Leo waved his hand at the patch, watching as Sin picked one.

She could smell the fragrance that it let off, and it was very fresh, just like how she remembered it. "Thank you, Leo. Could you show me to Adeline's grave?"

"This way." Leo led the way.

Sin turned to Lenalee, whispering, "I'll explain once I come back." She smiled and followed after the gardener, leaving Lenalee and the Finder alone.

"I wonder what she has in mind, Lady Exorcist?" The Finder turned to Lenalee, seeing her thinking.

"Sin might be onto something." Lena stared at the backs of the two walking to the grave. "Do you remember how the ashes had a flower each in them?" The Finder nodded. "Sin might have had the assumption that they came from the flower field, and wanted to see if Leo was the akuma."

"But just assuming that Leo is an akuma because the flowers in the ashes are from this flower field doesn't hold water." The Finder refuted.

"No, I don't think her thinking is as simple as that." Lena paused for a brief second, "I think she evaluated how Leo reacted to the flowers, but apart from that, I don't know."

"She did say she'll explain when she comes back." The Finder checked the time, "It'll be evening soon."

"Ah." Lenalee then understood what Sin was going to do, or at least, the gist of it. She sighed.

"Lady Exorcist?" The Finder questioned.

"I'm back! I'm a little hungry, can we go eat dinner now?" Sin had come back, Leo behind her.

The Finder nodded slowly, surprised at the forwardness of the exorcist, "Ah, yes, we can have an early dinner…"

* * *

"…and that's my plan." Sin took a sip of water. "There should be gear available from around the city."

Lenalee sweat dropped, "I had a feeling you were going to do something like this."

"I did this once with my friends. They were trying to get out of paying for one more person for the circus." Sin laughed when she remembered the fond memory.

"That doesn't look like something you'd do…" Lenalee mumbled.

Having heard her friend's comment, Sin couldn't help but smile. However, she ignored it, "We'll do this after we finish. Lenalee, I trust that you'll hold me upright."

"Do you have to go through all this trouble just to take a flower without permission?" The Finder was confused.

"Well, I'm theorising that Leo will recognise us if we did." Sin tapped her finger against the glass rim of her cup. "Besides, he knows we're exorcists. I'm sure he's the akuma, but I'm a little confused as to why he's not attacking us. I think the element of surprise will work well when caught in the act."

 _I didn't notice it before, but she doesn't seem to be as formal as she was when I first met her,_ Lenalee noticed. _But her plan may work…though it's a bit silly._

"Do you mean the flowers in the traveller's ashes?" The Finder asked.

"That's right. They all have flowers, which I'm pretty sure were taken from the fields, but not with permission. If I was a traveller passing by and saw a beautiful field like that, I'd just take one and leave. That's why I asked Leo if I could have a flower. He didn't look like he wanted to allow it, but he did anyway, since I asked. But, this is still all just speculation. I want to test it out for sure now." Sin clapped her hands together with a smile, "Based on what Louis said, I'm guessing that this akuma is a level 1, just like the one when I got attacked and scouted, and where Lenalee saved me."

"Ah. Now that you say that…it does match up a little, doesn't it?" Lenalee placed a finger on her chin.

"This will be your first battle, Lady Exorcist. Will you be fine?" The Finder turned to face her, remembering that they had a newbie. He had temporarily forgotten about it.

"Yes, I'll be fine. Level 1 akuma are not as scary as Kanda." Sin shuddered when remembering those training lessons from hell.

Lenalee and the Finder laughed, knowing exactly where she was coming from.

* * *

"We have to be really quiet when doing this!" Sin whispered so that only Lenalee could hear.

"Try not to move so much, or else this disguise won't work." Lenalee warned Sin, readjusting her on her back.

Currently, the two lady exorcists had gotten into their disguise, which was that of a traveller. They were wearing a thick layer of clothing that was put on in a way that was easy to take off, and a large backpack that was filled with balloons. Under the disguise, Sin was on Lenalee's back and formed the 'head' of the traveller, accessorised with a beanie and a fake beard, and Lenalee was the 'legs' of the traveller, wearing baggy pants.

 _This is kind of inconvenient…_ Lenalee deadpanned.

As Lenalee trudged up the small slope that led to the flower fields, Sin was on the lookout for any suspicious activity.

"I don't see anybody." Sin whispered. "Go left."

Lenalee didn't respond, going forward but left. She was able to see through a hole in the clothing which was strategically placed.

She walked towards the flower field. Sin stared at the flower beds, which were harder to see in the dark, but with the moon's light, it wasn't too bad. The colours were harder to see, though.

"We'll take a lily. They're a little bit more towards the other side." Sin said quietly.

Lenalee nodded, going toward there. Once there, Sin took a glance around and forced her voice so that it was deeper than it was, "Oh my, what lovely flowers."

As said in the original plan outline, Lenalee kneeled down on one knee, bending forward slightly.

Sin grabbed one of the flowers and gently plucked it, taking a good whiff of the fragrance it gave off. Lena stood up and they turned around, getting ready to leave.

"What are you doing, taking my flowers like that?"

Sin and Lenalee turned around, seeing Leo. He had the most enraged expression, which was also evident in his voice. His fists were curled in anger as he pointed to the spot where the girls took the flower.

"Oh, were they yours? I'm sorry, they were so beautiful that I couldn't help but take one." Sin's used her fake voice.

"Not another word from you." Leo's bent over and it seemed as if he had shed his skin. The 'human look' that he had fell to the ground in a floppy heap, and out came a huge level 1 akuma.

The minute he came out in his true form, there was a single bullet that came towards them.

 _This was the killer shot for many of the travellers,_ Lenalee thought.

She activated her Innocence and jumped out of the way, shedding the pant piece as it got ripped from the activation of her Dark Boots.

Sin jumped off Lena's back and activated her own Innocence, ripping the clothing and throwing it to the side. She threw off the beanie and fake beard, pointing the spear sword at the akuma.

The akuma had paused as it looked at both Lenalee and her, then made the barrels point to them. However, it didn't shoot.

"Why did you do this?" It was in Leo's voice, but it also sounded a little feminine as well.

 _What's this?_ Sin thought with confusion. She was sure that the akuma would have Leo's voice. _Who does the other voice belong to?_

"So you were the one who killed those travellers, Leo." Lenalee started, "Why did you do it? Because they took a flower?"

"I may be an akuma, but these flowers are my livelihood." Leo repositioned the barrels, "And those who take those flowers without my saying so are better off dead!"

Bullets started to rain down on them. Sin's mind momentarily became blank as she stared at the level 1 akuma, remembering how much it looked like a monster. Now, the longer she looked at it, she didn't see it as _only_ just a monster, but rather, it looked to be crying out in pain.

 _How does that even work?_ Sin thought, wondering why she was thinking that way.

A bullet came right at her, but because she was blanking out, Lenalee took her out of fire's way, sighing. "Sin! Don't just space out!"

"Oh! Sorry, Lena." Sin was surprised at how worried Lenalee was.

"Remember, if the bullets hit you, you're done for!" She landed on the ground and placed Sin down. "Let's exorcise it before it causes too much of a commotion."

"Alright." Sin watched Lenalee jump towards the akuma, avoiding bullets that were aimed at her.

"Ah…" Sin's blue eyes widened when she saw the mini craters that the akuma bullets had caused. There were plenty of them, destroying the grass that had been as carefully taken care of as the flowers.

She whipped her head to where the akuma was, seeing Lenalee getting closer and closer to it. The closer she got to the akuma, the more bullets that came out of its body.

 _At this rate, Lenalee's going to be hit!_ Sin gripped the handle of her sword and she went forward, sprinting towards the monster. _But before that…if that akuma listens to any reasoning at all…!_

"LEO! IF YOU KEEP FIRING YOU'LL DESTROY THE FIELD THAT YOU'VE TAKEN CARE OF ALL THIS TIME!" Sin shouted at the top her lungs. She panted as she stopped about 10m away, "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?!"

It stopped firing, seeming to look over at the one who shouted.

Lenalee landed on the ground and glanced at Sin, seeing that this wasn't part of the plan.

"Destroy the field…?" The akuma looked forward, seeing the holes in the earth that it created. The bullets were lodged there, emitting off poisonous smoke. "Ah…" He wailed. It sounded almost like a cry from the heart.

 _This…is an akuma…?_ Sin's brows knitted together and she pressed her lips into a thin line.

Sin remembered the book that she read, on how an akuma works. That akuma take the form of the human who wished for them to live, taking over their body to do their destructive deeds.

 _This is no different. If I'm correct about this…the one that the higher voice belongs to…should be Adeline,_ Sin glanced at the iris flower that was at the back of the akuma.

"The people who you used to live with, will take care of the flowers. You're Adeline, aren't you?" Sin looked up.

"Kill me. Kill me…!" Leo's voice cried.

 _They destroyed the one thing that was closest to them,_ Sin felt sorry for them that it had turned out this way.

"Sin." Lenalee called. Her friend looked over. Lena nodded and tilted her head towards the akuma, signalling her to finish it off.

With a solemn expression, Sin tightened the grip on her sword once again and walked closer, feeling the earth slightly vibrate from the wailing of the akuma.

"Goodnight, Adeline, Leo."

* * *

"Are akuma always like that?" Sin asked, leaning on the window sill. They were currently on a train back to the Black Order. "Do they always cry like that?"

Lenalee glanced over at Sin, seeing that she had a tired expression on her face. She looked outside, "No. This is the first time I've seen an akuma like that. One who didn't prioritise killing exorcists and people."

"What do you mean?"

"The akuma I normally fight, are cold blooded creatures that destroy everything and anything they please. Just by seeing an exorcist, their blood boils and they attempt to kill them, even if it's after a little wait."

"After…a little wait?"

"Yes. Some may stalk you, some may kill you right off the bat…like that. It varies from akuma to akuma."

"…if you put it that way, this akuma was strange."

"Maybe so."

 _It's strange, that this one akuma became like this,_ Sin thought back to after they had destroyed the akuma.

The people living by the mountain had come out to check the commotion due to the akuma's wailing that caused the earth to vibrate, and only arrived to see the finishing blow, which resulted in an aftershock of strong wind caused by the explosion of the akuma.

Most of the people had stayed away from the scene, but Louis and Hugo had come to talk to them about what happened, after it was safe to do so.

While talking, Hugo had talked about the past incidences that faced his daughter and her boyfriend, as well as the possible reason why they were so obsessed over these flowers.

 _Adeline was someone who was comforted by flowers after her mother died. Her mother loved flowers, too. The wife that Hugo has now is his 2_ _nd_ _, since his first one died of illness. In the end, Adeline had the same illness, and thus passed away too,_ Sin stared at the trees outside, _in his grief, Leo, who had hated flowers but came to love them because of Adeline, summoned the Millennium Earl to bring back Adeline; but failed, and turned them both into akuma._

 _This akuma wasn't like one of those normal ones, I've learned. It seemed its love for flowers had overridden its desire to kill. Whoever took away their flowers would face death, was what happened. Hugo said that was probably because people continuously took their flowers in the earlier years, without their permission, which they were fine with then, but then they learned that it was only there to be stomped on, therefore leading them to let nobody touch it unless they asked for permission first,_ Sin looked at the clipboard that had 'MISSION ACCOMPLISHED' stamped over it in red ink, _indeed, this case is just like a tragic love story but with flowers._

"Louis and his family are going to take care of the flower field now, aren't they?" Lenalee spoke up, clapping her hands together. The thought had momentarily disappeared from her mind, but she just remembered.

"Yeah, they are." Sin smiled, "Louis was really happy, and even admitted to always going there to spy on Leo when he was planting the flowers. I want to see how the field grows. I'd like to come back to see it one day."

Lenalee smiled, "Me too."


	6. Chapter 5

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #5

* * *

"What a useless akuma." Overlooking the crater filled flower field in an area that wouldn't cast shadow, sat a petite girl on a flying umbrella.

"I agree, Lero." The flying umbrella was able to talk from its pumpkin like head.

"I had higher hopes for it than that." The girl sighed. She then stood up on the umbrella, placing her hands on her hips. "That exorcist…"

"Which exorcist, Lero?"

The girl said nothing, staring at the flowers with a blank expression.

 _Where have I seen her before?_

* * *

"Good job on completing your first mission, Sin." Komui smiled, placing the 'MISSION ACCOMPLISHED' papers on his mysteriously clean desk.

 _Reever…_ Sin and Lenalee thought, almost proudly, of the Science Division leader. They imagined him flying off with a tired but happy expression, a halo above his head, whilst waving goodbye. _You did well._

"Now you'll need to complete the mission report. Since it's your first time doing it, Lenalee will help you." The Chief nodded towards his sister.

Sin nodded, a light smile on her lips. She was happy that she completed her mission successfully, but she felt sad for the fate of those taken by the offers of the Millennium Earl.

"Let's go fill it out now." Lenalee sat Sin down on the comfortable chairs in the room, showing her the ropes of how to do this and that.

Komui watched them with a smile on his face. While they were gone on their mission, Reever had been kind enough to clean out his whole office for him, pulling an all-nighter to do so. He even made his favourite Blue Mountain coffee for him in the morning when he was pleasantly surprised by how clean his office was.

' _You suck', he said…naw, he loves me enough to do this for me,_ Komui thought with a grin.

 _On a side note…_ The Chief thought back to when he had visited Hevlaska during the week that the two females were gone. Hevlaska had called him down to tell him something, but when he did reach the bottom levels of the building, she didn't say much or tell him the actual reason she wanted him there.

 _It was like she was afraid of telling me something. Just what did she want to tell me?_ Komui thought with a serious expression. _'Komui, that person...watch them closely', is what she said. She didn't even mention who it was that she was talking about. Hm…she could be talking about anyone, really._

While busy in his own thoughts, Komui sat there with a concentrated expression fixated on the desk and his coffee mug.

Lenalee and Sin were finishing up the report, and were almost done. It was a tedious but simple task after missions, but it had to be done.

"We're done!" Sin grinned and looked through the papers once again for confirmation, then placed them on Komui's desk.

"Ah, good work." Komui snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. "You can take the rest of the day off."

"But it's evening…" Lenalee sweat dropped.

"Oh, I mean you can take the rest of the night off, then."

* * *

Sin ended up alone after finishing the report with Lenalee. She had stayed with her brother, and thus didn't come with her to chill.

 _What am I going to do now…the library? Training? I don't really want to do either…maybe I should talk to Jerry. Nah, I guess I'll just go to sleep or something._

She sighed to herself and went back to her room, gathering up the things that she needed for a bath.

Once she was in the large bathing area, she slipped in and just sat there, staring at the steam that lifted off the water.

… _what am I doing?_ She sighed to herself, leaning her back against a rock.

 _I managed to finish my first mission…successfully. Does that mean I'll be going on more missions from now on?_

 _I'm not even good at combat. I'll just be in the way. To be honest, I hope Kanda helps me out a little more. Even though he's kind of edgy and just angry all the time. Maybe I should get the Finders to help me? They should know some basic martial arts among other skills…_

 _I wonder what the others would think…that I'm doing this kind of stuff. They probably wouldn't even know I was doing something like this!_ Sin chuckled and a smile graced her lips.

 _Now that I think about it…I don't think I've ever seen an akuma near us when I was travelling with them…does that mean that they'll continue to be safe?_

Sin shook her head, trying to get rid of the possibility that they would get hurt, _No! Don't think that! They're going to be fine!_

 _I wonder if Eeez is fine…his illness shouldn't be too hard to handle, would it? I'm no court doctor though, so I don't know how to treat it…I wonder if he's been like that his whole life…I hope the others don't overexert him._

"Ah." Sin had a sudden thought.

 _Maybe I should go to the library after this to see if there is anything I can learn from the medical section. It might even help him, and possibly some other people. And—_

Sin's thought got broken halfway when the look of many familiar people's faces flashed into her mind. They were villagers, but they were happy. She remembered them fondly.

— _I hope that I can help them if I ever get that knowledge._

* * *

"What are you doing, Tyki?" A petite girl with spiky dark purple hair and matching eyes, poked the taller male with her pumpkin headed umbrella.

She looked like a little kid, wearing a dress that was from middle-class or higher. It almost matched the umbrella's design.

"Ow! That hurts, Lero!" The pumpkin headed umbrella complained with a crying face. However, the girl ignored him, to only continue it at a faster pace.

"Road, cut it out." Tyki sighed, turning around to face his niece. "What is it?"

Tyki was a tall man that had wavy dark hair, which a little longer than short. He had light skin and a mole under his left eye, and wore a suit that he seemed to be changing out of.

Road stopped poking him, "Are you going out with those human friends of yours again?"

"Let me change in peace." The male tried to shoo her out but she was insistent on getting an answer.

"Tell me already!" The girl frowned and hit her uncle on the back repeatedly.

 _What's it to you anyway?_ He thought with a strange expression. Normally Road didn't ask questions like these because she already knew, so why was she asking now? He decided to go along with it anyway, or else she'd get even more annoying.

"Yeah, yeah, I am. Now stop hitting me." He placed a hand on her head and pushed her back so that her arms didn't reach him.

Road stopped and stared at him for a brief moment.

 _Hm?_ Tyki matched his niece's gaze, wondering why she wasn't saying anything. If anything, she'd say anything and everything if it didn't implicate her currently.

"What is it?" He let go of her head.

"That human group…" Road started. She paused, thinking of a way to word her thoughts.

Tyki just stood there, his vest draped over his arm.

"There are 5 of you, right?" The girl tilted her head, trying to remember. She was a little unsure since she never did see his drifter group often.

"Well, we used to be 5 but now it's just 4, including me." Tyki responded.

"Used to be 5?" Road questioned.

"Yeah. There was another…one with us, but they had to go for another job." The man remembered them perfectly. In a sense, he did miss them.

 _But they're a little different from what I thought they were,_ Tyki thought with a bland look on his face. _What kind of job are they doing anyway?_

"Are you lonely?"

That questioned caught Tyki off guard as he stared at Road with wide eyes, flabbergasted. "What?!"

Road just smiled.

Tyki paused and backed up a little bit, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just kidding!" Road giggled and turned on her heel, skipping out of the room and closing the door behind her.

"Hah?" Tyki raised a brow, confused.

 _Was she trying to say something?_ He thought. _Nah, maybe not._

 _But—_

" _ **Tyki, you haven't been to a circus, before, right? Let's go! Eeez, Momo, Clark! Let's all go!"**_

Tyki sighed through his nose and placed the vest on the side, heading outside to the balcony of the mansion he was currently at. He placed a cigarette between his lips but didn't light it, hearing a certain someone's voice at the back of his head.

" _ **No! No smoking!"**_

He chuckled to himself and leaned on the rails, staring up at the night sky.

— _maybe a little._

* * *

"A new exorcist?" Sin blinked a few times, seeing a white haired boy, younger than herself, standing in front of her.

He smiled and waved, a gloved hand coming out for a handshake. "Hello! It's nice to meet you, I'm Allen Walker."

"It's nice to meet you, Allen. I'm Sin Diae. I hope we get along!" Sin bowed her head a little and shook his hand, smiling.

Allen had come to the Order earlier that night, the same night that Lenalee and Sin had finished their report together. According to Lenalee, he was nearly cut into pieces by Kanda after a case of mistaken identity due to the gatekeeper. However, he made it out alive, and was found to be Cross Marian's pupil that was sent to the Order.

Lenalee was showing Allen around now, and they had stopped by the library since it was pretty big. Sin was in there reading some medicine related books, so she was one of the first to greet him.

 _So this is a pupil of the infamous exorcist General Cross Marian, hm?_ Sin thought with interest. She had learnt a bit from Komui and Lenalee about the exorcist Generals and how the Order generally works.

"Anyway, we'll see you later, Sin. I need to continue the tour. Goodnight!" Lenalee waved bye and headed off, showing the new boy the ropes.

 _Allen…Walker…_ Sin thought with a tilt of the head. _He looks so young, though._

* * *

Over the course of a few more weeks, Sin adapted to the training routines that she had to do to increase her combat prowess, as well as going on missions and the like. She mainly went with Lenalee and Allen, and only went on one with Kanda, which was the scariest thing she had ever done, apart from his training lessons from hell.

She and the new exorcist, Allen, got along well, which was a refreshing sight within the Order. She treated him like a little brother. However, to Allen, Sin was a mysterious existence.

 _Maybe I'll find out more later,_ the boy thought. _But she doesn't seem to be the type to just tell me._

 _Maybe I shouldn't ask._

* * *

"Johnny? It's nice to see you're taking a breath of fresh air from the science area." Sin set down her tray of food across from Johnny.

He was sitting alone and seemed to be reading a newspaper article from a small pile of documents that were marked to tell one apart from the other.

"Oh! Sin, long time no see." Johnny looked up and adjusted his glasses, grinning. He looked as happy as always, which was always satisfying to Sin.

"You seem hard at work, even at a time like this." Sin leaned over a little to see what he was reading.

"I'm looking through cases that have never been solved. Some of them do involve akuma, some of them don't. It's interesting to read them!" Johnny nodded fervently.

"Cases that have never been solved?" Allen slid into the seat next to Johnny, peering over his shoulder. He adjusted the pile of documents neatly so that it didn't get in his way.

"Allen!" Johnny greeted.

"What's so interesting?" Lenalee came up to them, a smile on her face as she glanced at everyone sitting on the table. She slid in beside Sin. Johnny greeted her happily.

"Cases that haven't been solved." Sin responded.

"Oh, that sounds interesting! I was going to take a look at them myself but things kept popping up." Lenalee laughed and leaned forward, "Tell us about the cases, Johnny!"

"If you insist!" The scientist adjusted his glasses again and he looked at the documents in his hands, "This one's a cold case from America 10 years ago, revolving around the disappearance of a group of people in the city. For some reason, nobody ever saw them enter, even though the soldiers that were there at the gates had confirmed of their entrance, even giving evidence for their entrance documents."

"Wow…it's kind of like they're ghosts, actually." Sin pressed her hand to her lip.

"That would be hard to solve. If nobody saw them then what exactly did the soldiers see? That's confusing." Lenalee said.

"Hm…" Allen hummed.

"The next one," Johnny replaced the one he had with the next document. He skimmed through it, "This one's about murders that happened in England. There were several prostitutes that were murdered and sectioned off, and it seemed that they were by the works of one person. They never caught this person, though."

"Could it have been an akuma?" Allen questioned.

"Possibly. In the reports it says that those who came to the crime scene first saw parts of the body covered in stars, then the body parts became ash." The scientist explained. "The Black Order was actually called in to see what the situation was, but not even an akuma was apprehended. So I don't know what happened there."

"That's strange." Sin tapped the table, "So it looked like it was done by a human, but it also looked like it was done by an akuma…are akuma cooperative with humans at all, especially with stuff like that?"

"Not really." Lenalee explained, "Though it might be something that happened on a blue moon. It's hard to know what akuma are thinking."

"That sounds horrible…" Allen's expression had paled.

"Should I stop?" Johnny turned to Allen with worry.

"No, no, it's okay." Allen tittered nervously.

"Hm…I'll do just one more, then." The scientist put away the sheets for the case before, and removed most of the pile into another space, taking the bottom layer. He held it in his hands and looked through it. It was a bigger file than the rest of them.

"Why's this pile so big? Is it a huge case?" Allen asked curiously.

"Well, at that time the case was pretty big. It was only about 5 years ago, anyway, but it remains unsolved." Johnny reorganised the papers he was flipping through. He turned to Lenalee and Sin, "You two might have heard of this, actually. It's a case from China."

"China?" Sin tilted her head slightly. Her blue eyes slightly narrowed, "What kind of cold case?"

Lenalee blinked, "I'm not sure, maybe."

"It's about a noble that went missing after a big party to celebrate her engagement to another noble." Johnny scratched his head, "It's not as bad as the other ones but it does get really confusing."

"Go on," Allen urged.

"Well, the first noble I was talking about was actually distantly related to the imperial family of China. I think that's also what makes this a big case. She was about 14, and the other noble was about 21, who wasn't as high of a status as she was." Johnny looked through the documents again, "Apparently they were to wed, but before they announced the engagement, she had completely disappeared from the venue. They only knew that the window to one of the many rooms at that venue was open. People suspected she jumped from the window, but there was no corpse found. It was like she disappeared into thin air. The man she was supposed to marry was the first one who found out about her disappearance, and it's said he was incredibly upset over the news."

"Was she killed by an akuma?" Allen asked. "That could explain why her body wasn't found."

"Apparently there was nothing like that at the scene. No ashes or destroyed furniture was found." Johnny made a thoughtful expression, "Anyway, after this ordeal happened, everyone in China heard the news, and it even spread to other countries in Europe, and even as far as America. They even released a drawn picture of her in hopes to finding her, but she wasn't found." He paused, "She seemed to be very important and well loved, so it's a mystery as to why she disappeared. The fiancé had sent out several search parties to find her, but they weren't able to find her at all. We don't know if she's dead or alive."

"If they released a picture wouldn't it be a lot easier to find her?" Lenalee inquired. She had actually heard of this case before, it made huge headlines when she had gone to China during that period of time for a mission. However, she didn't know the full details until now.

"But she was 14 then, wasn't she?" Sin pointed to her face as an example, "Wouldn't her face have changed a bit from that time? She would've looked a bit different from the picture."

"Ah…that's true." Allen thought for a moment, "Drawings do have inconsistencies though so it does make sense. Maybe they got the picture wrong?"

"Maybe." Johnny shrugged, "I did hear from somewhere that there were pictures of the noble, but the pictures weren't close enough to correctly see her features. They were all group pictures and somewhat far away." He added, "There weren't even any paintings, just caricatures. Nothing that depicted what she actually looked like."

"Wouldn't there be people who knew what she looked like?" Lenalee questioned.

"Well…they were asked as part of the investigation but it seemed like they only described her personality and beauty. It didn't really help their investigation at all." Johnny rubbed his neck, then turned to the last page, "As I was saying, the fiancé sent out search parties, and they continued that for about 2 years, but then they gave up, because she still hadn't been found. She's been declared dead…for now, anyway."

"For now?" Sin questioned him. "Do you think she's still alive? Even in an impossible situation like that?"

"Well, to be honest I don't really know." Johnny placed the documents back onto the pile and placed them to the side so it didn't bother any of them at the table, "But there have been no signs of her being dead either, so it's kind of a 50-50 chance right now."

"I guess that's true." Sin thought for a moment.

"Wouldn't it be hard for her to travel around if those search troops and her face are plastered all around the place?" Allen quizzed, "It's almost like running from the mafia."

 _Running from the mafia…? Allen, what have you been doing…?_ Sin cracked a smile, but she felt like Allen really meant it.

"That fiancé must have loved her a lot if he spent so long trying to find her." Johnny commented, nodding a little. Allen nodded in agreeance.

Lenalee stared at her tray of food, "Probably. She would have been pretty restricted. Anyway, these are cold cases. It'll be hard to solve them at all, so why don't we eat? Our food's getting cold."

"Ah, you're right." The other three looked down at their meals and began to eat, having forgotten that they were hungry.

* * *

 _That cold case that shocked the people of China…so it's been 5 years, huh. Since_ her _disappearance. I don't think she'll ever return to that world she was previously in,_ Sin thought dimly.

She pressed her lips together, _the story given out to the public was half made up, anyway. It's surprising how many people believed it._

She sighed, taking out her hairpin. She stared at it, twirling it around between her fingers, _if she was killed by an akuma it would have made things a lot better for her situation._

 _But—it might have been better for her to live. So that she can come out and say the truth._

 _Though, I don't think she can yet._

 _The stage hasn't been set._


	7. Chapter 6

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #6

* * *

"By myself?" Sin blinked a couple of times, pointing to herself in surprise. "I have to go on a mission by myself?"

Komui sweat dropped at her reaction. He expected something along the lines of 'Oh! Yay!' and happiness, rather than this.

 _But during this time…_ Komui's gaze hardened, but he regained composure as he tried to act normal for the exorcist.

"Well, it's not an actual mission that you're taking care of by yourself, but rather a meetup with Allen and Lavi for the General recovery missions." Komui said.

Sin nodded slowly, "I see…so they're not coming back to the Order?"

"No. Apparently they're stuck somewhere in Romania. Lenalee and Bookman were with them, but it seems like they got separated. I want you to meet up with them." Komui requested. "And help them with the General recovery missions after the situation in Romania is solved."

Sin stared at the Chief for a moment, pondering.

It had been a rough past couple of weeks, not just for herself, but for the rest of the Order as well. The Noah family had cut down one of the exorcist Generals, specifically Kevin Yeeger, and destroyed 6 Innocences, as well as declared war upon the Order and its exorcists.

While the other exorcists had gone out on General recovery missions, Sin was forced to stay behind on word from the Chief. It puzzled her as to why everyone was out and doing her job, whilst she stayed in the safety of HQ.

The only thing she'd been doing was training and expanding her knowledge with books from the library. There wasn't much she could do.

 _Is it because I'm weak?_ Sin narrowed her eyes at the ground then looked up at Komui.

"I will go. But, I'd like to ask why I'm going now, of all times." Sin took a step forward, her blue eyes focused. She was going to get a satisfactory answer. No, she _will_ get a satisfactory answer.

Komui and her eyes met. His eyes narrowed slowly until they closed. He intertwined his fingers on the table and rested his chin on it, then released.

"Hevlaska was the one who requested that I not send you out to retrieve the Generals, and to stay here for a little bit before going." Komui finally spoke.

"Hevlaska?" Sin's eyes went wide. "Why would she request that?"

"Hevlaska, has got something of a 6th sense. You could say it's because she's worried about you." Komui gave her a light smile.

"But why me? I'm not special." Sin shook her head and placed a hand on her chest, "If I'm not going to help out the Order, doesn't that mean I shouldn't be here in the first place? What would have been the point for my being here?"

Komui was silent. He let it sit for around a minute, before he sighed, "I'm not sure either. But Hevlaska has been keen on keeping an eye out for you."

Komui stopped himself there. He wasn't going to say anymore.

Sin pressed her lips into a thin line, clearly dissatisfied with Hevlaska's intervention.

 _Why would she do that, though?_

"Is she keeping an eye out for me because I'm weak?" Sin pressed. She stayed calm and composed through this.

Komui looked a little stunned, "Weak? I wouldn't say that. I don't think she's doing that for that reason."

 _Does he know the reason?_ Sin observed Komui, seeing if he was acting suspicious in any way. _Just what does he know?_

Sin decided to let it go for now and focus on what was at hand. She was going to need to get some more information about her upcoming rendezvous with the others.

"What are the details for the rendezvous?" Sin asked.

"Meet at this train station." Komui pulled down a map of Romania and pointed to a part of it with a steel stick. "This is where Lenalee and Bookman currently are, and they'll be waiting for you there before proceeding to where Lavi and Allen are. A Finder will accompany you, so you won't be alone." Sin nodded. "But be careful on your way, Sin. The Earl has declared war on exorcists, so there may be Noah that you run into." He looked like he wanted to say some more, but hesitated.

"What should I do if I run into a Noah?" Sin asked. She had a feeling that she knew what Komui was going to say.

"…in a situation like that, you'll have to see what your available options are." Komui said.

 _So he's telling me to think about what I should do if I run into them. Be it run away or fight,_ Sin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes again, "I'll do what I can."

Sin clenched her hand, _I'm not sure what I_ can _do._

* * *

"My name is Toma, I'll be the Finder accompanying you today, Lady Exorcist." A Finder with a bandaged face, leaving only the eyes, came up to Sin.

They were getting ready to leave to Romania.

The Chinese girl smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Toma. Don't worry about calling me 'Lady Exorcist', just call me 'Sin'."

"I can't possibly do that, Lady Exorcist…" Toma shook his head, adamant about not disrespecting her.

Sin sighed and did a light karate chop on his forehead, "Just call me 'Lady Sin' if you're so hesitant."

"Alright. Lady Sin, let's go on the mission now. We don't have much time to spare." Toma went to the boat in the underground river that flowed outside. "We have to catch a train after this."

"Yosh! Let's go, then!"

* * *

"…in the end we're waiting." Sin chuckled hopelessly and pushed back her just above shoulder length black hair.

It had started to become longer now that she'd let it grow out, from recommendation by Lenalee and her own desire.

 _Still pretty short though,_ she hummed to herself. _Though, I haven't had it long in a few years._

"Bookman and Lenalee should be arriving soon." Toma glanced at the clock at the station. It was about 3pm.

Sin and Toma had arrived at the station not too long ago, earlier than Lenalee and Bookman, who were still on their way there.

 _I would've thought that they'd arrived by now. Maybe very soon,_ Sin shrugged to herself, doing some stretches while she waited.

She hadn't seen Bookman in a long while. She did get answers about him from Komui when she asked what he specialised in (or rather, what all the exorcists specialised in), and Komui had told her that his Innocence was called 'Heaven Compass', which used acupuncture needles as a form of offensive. That interested her since she wanted to know a little more about Eastern medicine, and even found out that Bookman knew how to use acupuncture needles for medicinal purposes.

 _But will that really help Eeez?_ Sin thought with doubt. She didn't know what illness the kid had and didn't like that she didn't know. _I'm not even a doctor…should I even be doing this?_

 _No...? Yes…? Just gathering knowledge shouldn't be a problem, but putting it into practice is the hard part,_ Sin sighed through her nose.

"Toma, I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be back soon." Sin waved at the Finder and went off.

* * *

 _Lady Sin hasn't returned yet?_ Toma glanced at the clock, seeing that over 30 minutes had passed. _Maybe she needs this time. The golem should be with her._

 _Lenalee and Bookman haven't arrived yet, either,_ Toma thought for a moment, deciding to check up on Sin.

He headed towards the bathrooms and stood in front of the women's. He called into the bathroom, "Lady Sin! Are you still in there?" He waited for a little, then repeated.

When he realised that nobody had responded to him, he took a look around, seeing that there wasn't anybody in sight. The Finder headed inside the women's bathroom, calling Sin's name and asking if she was there. All the stalls were open and there wasn't anybody inside, which was odd.

Toma headed out and calmly thought about the situation at hand. If Sin had already left the bathroom, why didn't she go back to where he was?

 _Where would she have headed off to? There's nothing around here,_ Toma glanced around, _did she get kidnapped?_ His eyes narrowed at the thought, but it was a possibility.

His eyes spotted something under one of the waiting chairs. It was shiny. Taking it out from under the chair, he examined it, but then realised that it was a silver button from Sin's uniform, one that had ripped fabric at the back from being roughly torn off.

Toma's dark eyes narrowed and he contacted HQ with his golem, slightly panicking at the aspect of Sin's disappearance. It had happened almost out of nowhere, and there wasn't a sound to be traced, either. It was suspicious.

"Chief, it's Toma." The Finder spoke first when the video call went through, seeing the Branch head's face.

" _ **Toma? How's the mission?**_ _"_ Komui questioned, from the other side. He was lazing off and not doing his paperwork, which was evident in his messy workspace.

"About the mission, Chief, Sin's disappeared." Toma broke the news, then took out the silver button to show to Komui. He placed it closer to the golem's eye so that Komui could see.

Komui narrowed his eyes at the button, " _ **What were the circumstances?**_ "

"She went to the bathroom but didn't come back in half an hour, so I went to check. She wasn't inside the stalls or around the area. I found the button under a chair." Toma responded.

" _ **Have Lenalee and Bookman arrived?**_ " Komui questioned, gaze hardening.

Toma shook his head, "No, not yet."

It was then that Toma heard the train coming from the distance. The horn was loud and distinctive, which even allowed Komui to hear it.

" _ **That should be them. Just before, they informed me that they were about to arrive.**_ "

"Toma!" Lenalee was the first to step out of the train when it stopped, followed by Bookman.

She looked all smiles, waving at him and coming over. She was caught by surprise when she saw her brother's face on the video projection from the golem.

"Good afternoon, Lady Exorcist, Bookman." Toma nodded his head at the two exorcists.

"Where's Sin?" Lenalee questioned almost immediately after greeting him, seeing that she wasn't around. She almost had a bad feeling about this.

Bookman stood there calmly, _where is that little brat?_

" _ **Lenalee, Bookman, continue the mission with Toma.**_ _"_ Komui instructed.

"Brother?" Lenalee looked at him with a doubtful expression, "Where's Sin?"

"She's disappeared." Toma explained, showing the button to Lenalee. "She may have been kidnapped."

Her eyes widened and she stared at Komui, then Toma, then back at Komui. "Shouldn't we search for her then?" She held an expression of worry.

 _First Allen and Lavi went off by themselves, and now Sin suddenly disappearing…_ Lenalee clenched her hands into fists.

Komui was silent for a moment, but shook his head. " _ **No. You three will continue to where Allen and Lavi are. I'll be looking into where Sin is. We'll use our sources to locate her."**_

The female exorcist nodded, "Please find her as soon as possible!"

"Sin's wearing a coat over her uniform because it's cold." Toma informed.

" _ **Alright. Report to me if anything happens.**_ " Komui nodded and the video switched off, signalling the end of the call.

"How did Sin manage to go missing?" Lenalee questioned Toma, "Did you hear anything?"

"I didn't hear a thing, Lady Exorcist. That's what's puzzling me." Toma clenched his hands around his backpack straps, "I'm sorry that this happened. It was all because I was too incompetent."

"No, Toma, it's not your fault!" Lenalee shook her head, "It's possible that if she really was kidnapped, which is most likely what happened, she would have done something about it to tell us. In this case, it's that button. Only she would been able to rip it off if it was under her coat."

Bookman kept silent, taking a whiff of the air. _The air is different here. There's traces of chloroform._

"Let's leave my brother to find where Sin is. We'll have to catch up to Lavi and Allen now." Lenalee turned to Toma, "You have the map, right?"

* * *

"Sin's missing?!" Allen and Lavi exclaimed at the golem that connected Komui to them.

"Who's Sin?" A tall man questioned. He almost looked like Dracula with his high collared coat and vampire-like features. Even though he looked like that, he was in fact, a really kind hearted and naïve fellow.

Lavi closed the video call and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't possibly imagine why Sin was kidnapped, which confused him all the further.

Allen, however, was worried. He wanted to go and find her, but due to being completely clueless about where she disappeared and all the other important information, he couldn't do anything to help.

"Sin's another exorcist that was going to meet up with us. But apparently something happened along the way and now she's disappeared." Lavi explained to the Dracula like man, Arystar Krory.

"I guess we'll just have to leave it to Komui." Allen sighed. "I just hope she's alright."

"That's horrible!" Krory gasped, "Was it because of the vampire's curse?!"

Allen and Lavi laughed, shaking their heads at the man's worry. Allen said, "No, no, it's not because of that."

Lavi observed Allen and Krory bickering back and forth, smiling a little. His thoughts went back to the sudden disappearance of the Chinese girl, Sin, and he wondered what was up with that. It sounded pretty suspicious to begin with.

 _She doesn't seem like the type of person to involve herself with dangerous people or groups,_ Lavi thought with a thoughtful expression, _maybe slave traders?_

Lavi's green eye widened when he thought of that possibility, _that's a highly likely chance. Komui said she was wearing a coat over her uniform, so they wouldn't know that she was from the Black Order. They could have just mistaken her as a Chinese girl going around Europe._

 _Considering Sin, she can probably take care of herself though,_ Lavi knew that thinking to himself wouldn't do anything, _but slave traders could come from anywhere. That's black market stuff we're dealing with if it comes to it._

The red head then remembered having watched a couple of Kanda and Sin's lessons and sparring matches, and needless to say, Kanda was still probably scarier than many people in the outside world.

Lavi sighed, _Sin's an interesting piece of history I feel I should record, but at this rate things are going to get complicated._

* * *

Sin sneezed herself awake. She blinked a few times and shook her head, surprised and shocked that she had woken up that way. She wrinkled her nose and glanced around, feeling the ground against her face. It felt like she was touching wood, and it felt like she was on something that was moving. She could feel the external movement reverberate through her body.

Looking around, she found that it was quite dim, and that only little rays of light shined through from the outside.

 _That's natural light, so we're outside, right?_ Sin pushed herself up off the ground and into a sitting position, adjusting her vision.

She was surprised to see that there were about 5 more people in the same position as her, but they were all unconscious save for one. They were all Asian.

 _Why just Asians?_ Sin thought with knitted brows. She looked through the gaps in the wood that allowed light to seep through, looking to see what was outside and hoping that it gave her a clue as to what was happening.

 _Bamboo?_ Sin quizzed. However, she realised what was happening. _China…?_ _Why are we in China? Moreover, we're travelling through the bamboo forests! We're in a wooden carriage, too._

 _I was at the train station before, what happened?!_ Sin freaked. _I didn't get asked to get shipped to China!_

She thought back to what happened when she was waiting at the train station with Toma. She was waiting for Lenalee and Bookman to arrive, so that they could meet up with Allen and Lavi later at a different stop.

 _But what happened…?_ She tried to remember, but only when the wheel of the carriage that she was stuck on hit a rock, did she jolt and remember something vital.

 _Chloroform!_ She gasped silently in realisation, pressing a closed fist to her lip. _I had gone to the bathroom and came out quite quickly, but then someone pressed a cloth to my face…then I ended up here._

Sin sat still for a moment, then glanced around again at all the women that were sprawled unconscious on the carriage floor, except for one of them that sat to the side looking deathly pale.

 _Doesn't that mean I got kidnapped?!_ Sin mentally swore in her head.

The female exorcist moved to the area where she could hear other voices from the outside. She could hear the sound of a couple of horses' hooves hit the ground, the swish of liquid and two different male voices.

Listening closely, she hoped she could find out who they are and what they were after. She pressed her ear closely to the wood.

"…some good ones this time." One voice, a masculine one, spoke. He was speaking in Chinese.

 _Some good ones?_

"Yeah. Seems like they'll fetch a high price. The girl with the coat seems like she'll be worth a pretty penny." Another chuckled, and the sound of a liquid swishing could be heard, and a gulp. He was also speaking Chinese.

 _That must be water. And…the girl in the coat…?_ Sin paused for a moment, eyes trailing around, _isn't that me?! Are they going to sell me?!_

Sin started to panic, she had never dealt with a situation like this before, but she had heard of stuff like this happening. Never did she imagine that she would get caught up in something like this.

She took a silent deep breath, knowing that freaking out wouldn't be helping her situation at all.

 _Got to stay calm. That's what they taught me._

"Which brothel was it again?" The deeper voice one asked.

 _Brothel?! I'm an exorcist, not a prostitute!_

"The one in the Tian province. The red light district." The 2nd one answered.

 _The Tian province…? That's closer than I thought it'd be. Wait…Tian province…that means…_

"The highest rated one?"

"Yeah, we'll sell them for more than they're worth."

"We'll reach there by the end of the day, though. That train ride was tiring." A sigh.

 _Judging by the sun in the sky, there's approximately 6 hours or so until we reach the Tian province. If that's so, then by that 6_ _th_ _hour we'd already be at the red light district and sold to that brothel,_ Sin pulled away from the wood and turned to face the girls.

Another one had woken up, and she looked frightened when she saw herself in this situation. She stared at Sin with fearful brown eyes, threatening to cry.

Sin pressed a finger to her lip to tell her to be silent, then glanced over at the one that had been awake before her. She was looking over at the exorcist now.

The female exorcist moved forward and crawled over to them, making sure her voice was quiet, "Were you guys taken too?" She whispered.

Following her quiet voice, the other two girls nodded, one quite fervently, and the other, once.

The deathly pale woman spoke first, "They took me when I was taking a walk."

"T-they…I, I don't remember…" The 2nd girl wailed, clamping her hands over her mouth.

"I was taken at a train station." Sin sighed and patted the wailing girl on her back. "There are 3 more that need to wake up." She tilted her head to the other three that were still on the floor. "I don't have any intention of being sold to a brothel of any sort, so I'm going to get us out of here."

"How…?" The pale woman seemed to pale further, if that was possible. "We're stuck in this carriage and we don't have anything that can help us get out of here."

"Yes we do." Sin was serious. She unbuttoned her coat and showed them the inside, where she wore the Order's uniform. "I'm an exorcist. I have a weapon that can get us out of here."

The two others seemed to stare at her in awe.

"…do you have a plan?" The pale one asked.

"Yes, I do." Sin answered confidently.

 _Except, I've only figured out half of the details…_

"What's your plan?"

Sin paused for a moment and stared at the other three girls. She would fill them in later, but she'll tell the first two.

"Of course, my plan is to escape. I don't want anyone to be sold anywhere against their will. First, I'll give a little background as to where we are and what's happening.

"Right now, we're in China, specifically the bamboo forests that are on the edges of the Tian and Jin province. While eavesdropping on the two people at the front of the carriage, it seems that we're going to a high ranking brothel in the red light district in the Tian province, which will take until the end of the day to arrive. So putting it simply, we'll arrive at nightfall. At that time, they'll be selling us all into that brothel, so we can't do it right there when it'll cause too much of a disruption." Sin paused for a moment, observing the expressions of the two that she explained to. They nodded to tell her that they understood.

"So, my plan is this. We'll get out of here before we get to the red light district. Around evening, before nightfall and before we enter the red light district, we'll get out. I'll destroy the cart and you all will escape." Sin explained.

"Where will we go if we escape?" The previously wailing girl had calmed down and looked interested and worried at the same time.

"The people that live in the area separate to the red light district are very nice people, and they'll help you if you are in trouble. If you're in doubt about them, go to the Huang estate. They'll help you." Sin assured.

"You seem to know a lot about this place." The pale girl pointed out.

Sin tittered, "I grew up there, so I know my way around it."

… _and many other parts around China, too,_ Sin kept to herself.

"I see. That makes sense," The pale girl sighed, "It's a relief that they got someone like you, though, or we'd really be in trouble."

Sin couldn't agree more, but found that it was a little hard to accept the conditions in which she was taken for. It could have been something worse, like a murder.

 _Thanks the Gods that didn't happen,_ Sin shuddered at the thought.

"When the other three wake up, I'll inform them of the plan. They're bound to wake up soon. Unfortunately, we can't do anything until we reach a populated place, so all we can do is make sure we get the timing right when evening falls." The exorcist tapped her finger onto the floorboards. "How far into the evening; I'd say around halfway before nightfall. So it'll be considerably darker, but not so dark that we won't be able to see. It'll be dangerous, so I need you two to make sure that you are very careful."

The two Asian girls nodded.

"…you're definitely not just a normal one, are you?" The pale one half questioned half stated.

"Pardon me?" Sin blinked a couple of times. She was normal, no?

"Other women caught in this mess wouldn't be like you, with so much composure. I've watched you since you woke up. You don't seem surprised or at all shaken." The other elaborated.

"Is that so?" Sin raised her brows. "I guess I'm just trying to get myself out of this mess."

"You're almost like a hero." The woman let out a gentle giggle, which surprised Sin due to her stoic composure before. "I'm glad you're here with us."

"I'm…no hero." Sin shook her head. "I'm just another passer-by."

* * *

"What about her golem?" Reever questioned. He heard the gist of the situation from Komui, who was working tirelessly.

It had been a while since he's seen him like that, but because it was like this that he knew that some things were currently not in good condition.

Such is the fact with the missing exorcist Suman Dark, as well as another missing exorcist, Sin Diae. Suman was a different matter altogether with different circumstances to Sin, who had disappeared.

"I tried contacting her through her golem but it wasn't turned on. If she remembers that she has the golem she'll turn it on and we'll know where she is." Komui shuffled through some papers on his desk.

Reever sighed through his nose, feeling even Komui's stress build on his own.

It had been a couple of days since Sin had disappeared. During that time, there were many casualties of both exorcists and Finders, the result of the Earl's forces. Six Innocences were destroyed, six exorcists and 142 Finders were killed.

Needless to say, the Order was currently doing everything it could.

"Branch Chief, Hevlaska would like to see you." Komui's golem buzzed through the intercom. It was one of the Great Generals.

"I'll be right there." Komui sighed heavily to himself when the intercom buzzed off. He headed to the lower levels where Hevlaska lay, using the huge machine to arrive.

"What did you want to tell me, Hevlaska?" Komui walked up to where the giant exorcist was, seeing her familiar glow.

"Do not worry about Sin. She's alive." The Cube's protector informed.

"She's fine? How do you know that?" Komui questioned.

"Her Innocence…I can feel it…" She spoke, almost as if she were in slight discomfort.

"Hevlaska?" Komui worried. She didn't respond, but seemed to be back to normal within a moment.

 _It seems as if she's always keeping an eye out for Sin?_ Komui thought for a moment. He already knew that, but judging by how Hevlaska acted like this, it seemed more than just being worried for her.

* * *

Tyki let out a long, long sigh. Although he enjoyed his double life as a Noah and human, he felt as if he just wanted to stay with his human friends. He'd been gone from them far too long.

"Why the long sigh, Lord Noah?" One of the akuma that was with him questioned the male. He was nervous about being around a Noah, but forced himself to calm down for the sake of his master.

"It's nothing." Tyki responded. He felt bored, to be very honest. Right now, he was taking a walk through China. Normally he'd take the ark because of convenience, but right now, all he wanted to do was walk mindlessly.

"You can go now." The male instructed for the akuma to go with a wave of his gloved hand.

"Okay, Lord Noah!" And with that, the akuma went off.

 _Finally, some peace and quiet._

Tyki arrived at the city of the Tian province. He was going to go through it and to the Jin province, where he believed Suman was currently.

 _It shouldn't be too long before he becomes a Fallen One._

"Hm?" Tyki stopped walking when he heard a loud noise, seeing a crowd form around something. He was taller than most people, which was advantageous in situations like these, where he could see what was happening.

 _Is that a carriage?_ Tyki walked a bit closer.

Indeed it was a carriage, led by two horses. However, the carriage had been sliced into a few pieces, leaving it to crumble to the ground in a heap mass of wood. Two men were shouting at each other in Chinese, pointing in every direction angrily.

 _What happened here?_ Tyki wondered. He shrugged and continued forward, but someone bumped into him as he advanced. He glanced down, seeing that the person was much smaller than himself, but taller than Road.

"Ah, sorry." The person nodded their hat at him in apology before going off in a fast paced walk opposite of the crowd.

He wasn't able to see their face, but their voice struck familiarity.

The Noah watched as the person went off, discarding their hat and making a run for it, looking back once.

She had gone too far for him to see her face, however, there was a gleam of blue from her earring, before she turned around and continued running.


	8. Chapter 7

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #7

* * *

Sin was nearly out of breath when she reached the area near the Huang estate. She had made sure that all the girls that were kidnapped along with herself, were set free and got away far enough from the slave traders. She was the last to leave as to make sure that the others had gotten a safe distance first.

 _I even carelessly bumped into a person. He was all dressed up fancy, too! I hope I didn't dirty his clothing…_ Sin sighed, knowing that the cost of clothing like that wasn't cheap.

She glanced around where she was now. She had ran away from the carriage after destroying it, and was now in a different part of the city.

It was still the evening and it was becoming darker, with the lights burning brightly on the streets.

Sin stood there for a brief moment, finding solace in the very place she grew up. She hadn't seen the place in a while, and coming back to the area was still warming, even after a bad situation.

The place did change a little bit, but not so much that she couldn't recognise it. It had more of a European influence, but still retained its traditions and original architecture.

Having regained her breath, the woman looked around to see the huge Huang estate, seeing that the doors were open, and one of the women that she had been stuck with in the carriage was there, speaking to one of the guards. The guards had instructed her to go a certain way, which she was very thankful for. After that, they closed the doors, with two of the guards standing outside for patrol.

 _I forgot how big this estate was…_ Sin thought, with a half-smile, seeing the huge walls that loomed over her.

She headed off downtown, seeing that the nightlife was just as lively as before, especially in the city's centre. It was quite bright and just seeing it reminded Sin of how it was back then. It was nearly the same, if not more developed.

A wave of nostalgia rushed through the woman as she walked down the path of stalls, the scent of Chinese food filling her nostrils.

 _It's been too long_ , she tore her eyes away from the stalls and shoved her hands into her coat pockets.

"Hm?" The Innocence user took out the round object that was in her pocket. She realised that it was the golem that would connect back to HQ.

 _I forgot I even had this…_ she turned it on, hoping that she didn't make the others worry too much. She had forgotten to turn it on when she left for the mission.

The golem flapped its wings as it head butted the exorcist, with Komui's voice shouting through the intercom, " _ **THERE YOU ARE! FINALLY**_!"

A little shocked, Sin slapped her hands around the golem, muffling the sounds coming from it. She sighed and looked over her shoulder, seeing people staring at her with weird expressions.

"S-sorry!" She apologized.

Ignoring her apology, the people continued on as if she wasn't there.

 _Geez, Komui…_ Sin sighed deeply, releasing her hands from the golem. A video call from Komui had popped up almost immediately, showing him incredibly close to the screen, almost as if he was holding the golem itself.

"Chief, good evening." She greeted with a nod, almost sweat dropping at his antics.

" _ **Was your golem turned off the whole time for your mission?**_ " Komui went straight to the point, moving away from the screen. He was in the cafeteria, eating food. He sat down but didn't touch his meal yet.

"Yes. Sorry about that, I forgot to turn it on. I must have caused a lot of worry. I'm sorry." She apologized, lowering her head.

" _ **Don't worry too much about it, just tell me what happened**_." Komui had started to dig into his food, waving around his fork. Sin could hear his stomach growling even over the call, which made her laugh lightly.

"Alright." Sin recalled the events that happened, "You've probably heard from Toma about what happened at the train station, right? I went to the bathroom and someone used chloroform to render me unconscious, and took me away less than a minute when I came out of the place. I'm not sure what happened after that, but I woke up in a carriage in China. I was with five other girls, and I eavesdropped on the conversation between the two drivers, who were slave traders. They were planning to sell us off to a brothel in the Tian province's red light district. I came up with a plan and we escaped. That's probably the gist of it."

Komui nodded as he ate. He finished his mouthful before talking, " _ **Good job. The others got away safely?**_ "

Sin nodded.

" _ **That's good**_." He paused, " _ **Have you rested well enough?**_ " His voice hinted concern.

The Chinese girl just smiled. "I'll be fine. I know my way around this place, so I'll take a look around for accommodation."

" _ **There's no need. First and foremost, I'd like you to rest before continuing. I do have a mission for you, but it'll have to wait until after you've rested**_." Komui almost sounded like a strict father, which surprised Sin.

 _Normally he's a little…different, but this side is refreshing too._

"I will. Thank you for worrying. Before I go off, I'd like to ask how the others are. Did they manage to meet up?" She questioned.

On the other side, Komui nodded. He had finished off his meal and was solely giving his attention to the golem and video call. " _ **Lenalee, Allen, Lavi, Bookman have met up. They're heading to China now. General Cross might be there**_."

"General Cross is in China?" Sin's blues went wide.

" _ **Yes. They were tipped off**_." Komui crossed his arms, " _ **But where in China, I'm not too sure. You can probably search around before resting. After that, you can head to the Asia Branch to get an examination. We need you in full health if you're going to be fighting akuma and Noah**_."

Sin pressed her lips together and nodded. "I guess I'll take a breather by walking around and asking if anybody's seen General Cross."

" _ **But your rest—**_ "

"I'll rest when I get to the Asia Branch. Send someone to find me, okay?" Sin waved bye at Komui before shutting the video call. She turned the golem off and shoved it back inside her pocket.

 _Now to find General Cross,_ Sin eyed the area.

She was still in the night market area, where everyone was buying stuff and having fun. It was almost festive. She rubbed the back of her head, wondering where she should start.

She hadn't met Cross Marian before. He was someone said to be very elusive and rarely showed up to do his job as an exorcist, and even went missing for months at a time. The Order pretty much had no way of tracking him down.

However, she has seen a picture of him, and he seemed somewhat familiar.

 _I wonder why,_ she sighed, _I hope he looks the same in those pictures Komui showed me._

Sin felt her stomach rumble. The longer she stayed there, the easier it was for her to be hungry. She missed the street market foods.

The girl rummaged through her pockets before finding a little pouch of money, which she grinned at. Heading over to the bun stand, she asked for six buns, with her favourite one being the BBQ meat ones.

"Big sister…?"

Sin froze when she was handed the paper bag of buns. She was just giving the coins to the lady that owned the shop when she heard that voice.

Regaining her composure, she smiled and thanked the lady for the food, handing her the money before turning on her heel quickly, heading the opposite direction in which she came.

"Wait!" The voice followed her until they clamped a hand around her wrist, trying to stop her, but ended up getting dragged along instead.

Sin stopped abruptly, causing the boy to hit into her. However, she didn't turn around. She kept her gaze straight ahead.

"Big sister! It's me! Leon! Don't you remember me?!" The boy was about 12 years of age, with chocolate coloured hair that was short and styled to the side. His eyes were a blue like the ocean that contrasted with his fair complexion.

Sin stared at the ground, trying to focus on something else.

She had not expected to see him there. She thought he'd be at home, sleeping and getting rest. After all, he was always up doing stuff all day.

 _He's grown,_ Sin stated almost as a reminder to herself that years have passed.

She glanced over her shoulder just slightly, seeing the boy again after half a decade. Once she did, Leon's grip on her loosened, allowing her to pull her arm from him and proceed forward.

"Sister! Don't go!" Leon reached forward to stop her, but ultimately stopped when a bun got shoved into his mouth, making his hands go to the bun as it was still hot.

"Here you go. That's my favourite bun, the BBQ meat one. Enjoy it while it's still hot." Sin didn't look back as she headed forward with a heavy heart, merging with the crowd of people that had come from the other side of the night market.

Leon stood there holding the bun, mouth opening and closing like a koi fish. He didn't know whether or not to believe his own eyes, but he swore he saw her.

"Leon! There you are!" Leon turned around to see his mother coming to him with his father, their arms hooked around each other's playfully.

"Eh? Did you buy that yourself, Leon?" His mother questioned, pointing to the bun he was eating.

"No, mother. Somebody…gave it to me as a present." Leon smiled.

"What a nice person." His father rubbed the boy's head, ruffling his hair in the process, "If you find anything you want, just call me, son."

"Yes, father." Leon watched as his parents went off to the stalls again, seeing them look at all sorts of things and chat to the owners of the stands.

 _Was that her?_ Leon thought, staring at the bread that the girl he seemed to have mistakenly called 'sister' gave him.

 _Can it be…?_ Leon pondered silently for a moment, _do I miss her too much? She's probably not her, anyway. That's just wishful thinking on my part. I haven't moved on at all._

Leon's eyes teared up, a painful wave of throbs hitting his heart.

 _After all, she's already dead._

* * *

Sin stopped when she reached the other side of the night market. She looked back over her shoulder, not forgetting the boy's face.

 _It's good you're doing well._

The exorcist went to a few stalls and started to ask if anybody had seen a tall, flashy man with fiery, long red hair wearing the exorcist uniform. Most of the responses she got were ones which said no, however, there was one who responded with a yes. They even drew a picture of what the man looked like and asked her if it was that guy, in which Sin said yes. She was quite grateful for the information and even bought some of their bread to say thanks.

She forced a smile on her face and stared at the large amount of bread she had, including the buns she got before. She sighed silently and went off to the side, just managing to take out her golem and turning it on again.

She called Komui in a voice call, "Chief, I got some information on General Cross."

" _ **That was quick! You skipped rest again, didn't you?**_ " She could almost see him sweat dropping on the other side.

Sin nodded out of habit, even though Komui wasn't there to see. "I asked the stalls at the night market, and one of them said he went to a high ranking brothel in the red light district."

" _ **A brothel**_?" Komui questioned.

"Yeah," Sin paused, "Should I go pay the place a visit?"

She was a little unsure of whether she should or shouldn't go to confirm the information, and she knew it'd be kind of dangerous going by herself. Plus, she also had all this food to take care of.

" _ **If you can, that would be good**_." Komui said after a moment. He added, " _ **Be careful, those slave traders from before might still be lurking around."**_

"Yes, Chief." She nodded again, "Thanks for worrying about me." She felt warmth, almost like a familial embrace from a family member.

" _ **I'm hesitant to get you to go by yourself, but there's no helping it**_." Komui sighed, " _ **If anything happens, one of the people from the Asia Branch will help you out. I sent one to look for you. He's a big fellow and you might mistake him for a tall grandpa. He'll recognise you, though, so don't worry about finding him.**_ "

"Alright."

" _ **They'll probably come to find you after night falls or when it gets darker**_."

"I'll keep an eye out for him." Sin stared at her bread. "I'll report to you when I find out something."

" _ **I'll be looking forward to it**_." He hung up.

Sin didn't turn off her golem and placed it back into her pocket, disabling its ability to fly for the sake of keeping it there.

She found somewhere to sit to eat the remaining five buns, since they were starting to get cold. She took out a meat bun, taking a big bite out of it.

 _I need to check out the red light district, don't I?_ Sin sighed to herself, _and why did I have to buy all this bread? I can't eat all this in one setting…_

Sin stopped eating for a moment, _ah, maybe if I'm really hungry then maybe…but I'm not really._

She didn't even realise it when somebody had come up to her and asked a question.

Blinking a couple of times when she came to, she saw a hand waving in front of her face and stopped eating, seeing the tall well-dressed man from before, specifically, the one she bumped into.

She stared at his golden coloured eyes with wide eyes, "Ah! Sorry! Pardon me?"

She felt like his face was familiar but she couldn't quite put her finger to it.

The male chuckled, pointing to the seat next to her, "Is that seat available?"

 _Even his voice is familiar?_ Sin thought with slight confusion.

Sin nodded slowly, then looked over and saw that her bread was taking up the space. She quickly placed the bread closer to her, "Sorry about that! Here you go."

"Thanks." He sat down and stared ahead.

Moments passed as Sin continued to eat her bread, finishing off her 2nd one. When she reached for the 3rd one, she saw the man eyeing the food in the bag she had. She stared at him for a moment.

 _Is he hungry?_ She questioned herself. He was just looking, but it felt like he really wanted something to eat. _He looks like he comes from a wealthy family, though. Did he lose his wallet?_

The exorcist placed the 3rd bun in her mouth, taking a small bite. _Maybe I should offer him one? I guess I could use some help eating that 2_ _nd_ _bag._

"Do you want some?" Sin asked politely, giving him a small smile. She pointed to the 2nd bag of food she had.

"Hm?" The male was taken by surprise, looking up to meet her eyes with his own wide ones. He pointed to the bag she was pointing to, "Is that okay with you?"

Sin laughed lightly, "It's fine. I bought too much, anyway. I wouldn't have finished it by tonight." She gently pushed the bag towards the male, who took it without a hesitant thought.

As he did so, a loud growl could be heard from his stomach, like he hadn't eaten all day.

Sin laughed, a grin on her lips. It was almost comical, like something out of a fictional story. The food gets offered, and when the other person takes it, their stomach growls.

"Hurry up and eat it before it's not crispy anymore. The bread from that place is delicious." Sin took another bite out of her bun, turning back to face the crowd that was walking through the night market.

* * *

Tyki was quite surprised that she'd offered him food. It was almost heroic, seeing as though he had realised he was quite hungry, and went to get food first before heading off to find Suman.

It was incredibly startling to find Sin in a place like this. She had bumped into him earlier before, but he didn't realise it was her since he didn't see her face, but when he did see her again it was pretty much instant recognition.

 _The only thing I didn't expect was that she had grown her hair out,_ Tyki thought with a side glance to the female. Indeed her hair was nearly at her shoulders. _She looks exactly the same as last time I saw her. It's been a while._

 _Does she recognise me? Probably not,_ inwardly, the Noah sighed.

Of course, he couldn't just come out and tell her that it was him. After all, he was keeping his double life a private matter, separating his human life and Noah life.

 _She only knows me in my human form. If she finds out I'm a Noah will she hate me?_ Tyki started eating the bread he was given, finding it quite delicious, just like she said. _She probably doesn't even know about this Noah and exorcist business, anyway._

Sometimes, he did imagine her going against him and hating him because he was a Noah who used akuma to kill people for a living. In all honesty, it did freak him out a little, and that seed of doubt had been planted for a while.

He remembered that when he first met her, he thought she was a boy. Her hair was quite short back then, and she had a pretty face that could be easily mistaken for a pretty boy or girl, especially with hair and clothes like that.

 _She kind of looked like a paperboy back then…_

As the years flew by, he didn't notice it because they had been living together, but she had turned out more feminine than he'd thought, seeing her now. At that time he didn't question her. He'd thought that she was a boy until just before she left for her new job, when she came to them to say she was going to leave for a while.

It was weird, to say the least, but although he was surprised, he accepted it easily.

 _Looking back at it now there were so many pointers…_ Tyki laughed inwardly, feeling that he was just dumb for not picking them up, _and she never said she was a boy either._

He felt kind of stupid for not figuring it out sooner, like Eeez did.

 _Urgh, enough about that._

 _So what's she doing now?_ Tyki turned to her, pausing from eating his meal. _She said she was doing something else now._

"Hm?" Feeling a pair of eyes on her, Sin turned to her eating companion, "Something the matter? Do I have something on my face?" She was genuinely asking.

Her eyes were as blue as he remembered, which made him crack a small smile, and her to tilt her head.

"No, there isn't." Tyki shook his head, chuckling. "I never knew there was a night market like this. Do you come here often?"

Sin turned back to watching the people. She smiled, "I'm not sure how it was for a few years. But it's nearly the same as it was about five years ago. Maybe bigger and better more than anything."

Tyki wasn't a mathematician nor was he someone who fancied studying, but he did manage to calculate the number of years she spent travelling with them as part of their group.

 _It's pretty much five years,_ Tyki was almost amazed at the number. It had already been quite long. _But I can't exactly say that I know who she was with the whole time,_ he mentally sweat dropped.

To his surprise, she continued, "I was with a group of people that time during when I was away from here. They took care of me well." She smiled when she remembered the fond memories.

Tyki just observed, seeing that she thought of them positively. _She does know that I'm right here right?_

"Where are they now?" He took another bite of bread. He felt like he was supposed to ask this type of question when she brought it up.

"They should be somewhere out there going about their lives, moving place to place with smiles." She paused, then added, "Except one, he goes out and does some things on his own sometimes, but always comes back."

 _She must be talking about me,_ the Noah let out a light chuckle.

"Do you miss them?" He was genuinely curious.

Sin didn't respond for a second, which made Tyki look towards her. She was staring at him with a thoughtful expression, her 3rd meat bun half eaten in her hands. He just stared back, not knowing what she was thinking about. Finally, she turned forward.

"This is strange. I feel like I can tell you anything." She mumbled, then sighed lightly, turning back to him, "Of course I miss them. They were my family for five years—no, they're still my family. I want to be with them again, but I can't. Not now, anyway."

 _Not now?_ Tyki raised a brow, _and tell me anything?_

He laughed lightly, "And why is that?"

"Which one?"

"Both."

"…you heard what I said before?" Sin shyly looked away, not realising that he did. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment.

How could she say that about a stranger, even if she feels like she knows him?

"Yeah." The Noah chuckled.

Sin sighed through her nose, breathing in deeply to calm herself down. "Well, for the first part…um…" Her voice almost became a whisper, "You look really familiar to me…"

"What?" Tyki blinked once, having heard it. She was looking away, but he knew she was embarrassed. A smirk curled his lips. Seeing her like this made him want to tease her, "Are you hitting on me?" He joked playfully.

Sin whipped around to him, an expression of a mixture of astonishment and embarrassment on her face. She stuttered, "N-n-no! That's not it! I'm just saying you look like one of the people I was travelling with!"

 _Ah, so that's it,_ Tyki shrugged in response to her, _well, I_ am _him, after all. She just doesn't know that._

 _I forgot she's seen me without those glasses,_ he watched as the female pressed a hand to her cheek, feeling how hot it was. She frowned slightly, hitting her cheeks lightly, even though it didn't help at all.

"Don't worry too much about it," His hand went to her head and he ruffled it, bringing her in slightly closer to him. When he realised what he was doing he let go, "Ah, sorry. I…did that out of reflex."

Sin stared at him with wide eyes, not expecting that at all. She pressed a hand to her head, blinking a few times. Her eyes welled up a little, leaving them glossy and shiny, which even Tyki could see with the night lights.

"W-what…" Tyki started, a little stunned. He did not expect that.

"You act like him. It's confusing me." Sin came back to her spot and she fixed her hair, blinking the tears away.

 _It almost feels the same, too._

"Are you upset?" He asked. He leaned back on the bench, glancing in her direction.

Tyki wouldn't normally want to delve into matters like this because it was much too complicated for his liking, but he wanted to know what she thought. After all, it was strange to have someone who he's been living with for a long time in his human form, to come across him in his Noah form.

 _It's interesting to hear her opinion of me,_ Tyki wanted to laugh when he recalled her reactions from before. He paused his thinking for a moment, _but why does that matter?_

"I'm not exactly upset…rather that I really, really miss them. If anything happened to them I'd be really upset." She tapped her fingers on her thigh. She stopped for a brief moment, realising that the whole conversation was him asking her questions, but she didn't know anything about him.

"What about you? Is there someone like that to you?" She asked, turning to face him.

Tyki glanced at her, then turned back to face the crowd with a small smirk. He couldn't just up and say it that he missed that group too, so he had to word it differently. He wasn't one to lie.

"There is." Tyki didn't elaborate.

Sin just left it at that, not wanting to pry. She finished up her 3rd meat bun and took her 4th, which she ate contently. When she was looking into the crowd, she realised that a lot of people were looking their way. She didn't even notice that when she was looking out there before because she was focused on the conversation, but now that she's realised it, she was confused.

 _Why are they blushing, squealing and pointing over here?_ Sin stared at a pair of girls who were giggling to each other and pointing towards where they were sitting.

She looked to another, and saw that there were a few guys looking at her and then Tyki, who seemed more cautious if anything.

 _What exactly is happening here?_ Sin was beyond confused. What had she done to warrant this attention? She understood that in certain situations it was appropriate but she was incredibly confused as to why this was happening now. After all, she was just sitting with a stranger, eating a meat bun. Why was that so fascinating to them?

Tyki, on the other hand, was kind of used to it, though it did bother him a little bit.

 _They're staring at us too much…_ Tyki sweat dropped. He knew why they were staring, of course, but chose to ignore it, since he couldn't really do anything about it. However, there was one thing he was annoyed about.

 _Those guys…_ Tyki stared at the guys that were all on the side, trying to hide that they were looking at her, _it's like she's a celebrity here._

He glanced over at Sin to see her reaction, and laughed lightly at her. She had the most puzzled expression ever, like she didn't know what and why it was happening. He swore he could see question marks popping up all around her head, clueless as she currently was.

"Can I get your pictures, please?!"

Sin yelped and scooted over to Tyki, half squashing the bag of bread. Tyki was equally surprised, but more so when he felt her clinging to his arm, quite strongly, he might add.

The person who had popped up randomly behind Sin was someone holding a camera, wearing traditional Chinese attire that displayed he was part of the promotional team for the night market events. He looked quite happy with his cat-like face, "I'd like to take a picture of you two enjoying the night market."

"Uh, um," Sin regained her breath and she shook her head, "No thanks. I'd rather not get photographed."

"That's a shame, but that's fine. Have a lovely evening with your boyfriend!" The photographer waved and rushed off to find other subjects for photos.

"Boyfriend?" Sin blinked and wondered who he was talking about, glancing at Tyki. She gasped and went back to her spot, apologizing to him profusely for grabbing his arm.

"It's fine." Tyki chuckled, raising his hands. He almost felt guilty about it, even though she was the one apologizing.

Sin stopped at that, shutting her mouth, then burying her face in her hands as she leaned forward on her thighs.

 _He really looks like him,_ Sin shook her head, _but he can't be. Tyki doesn't have golden eyes._

 _I should get out of here before I overthink things,_ Sin sighed gently to herself and stood up with her bag of remaining meat buns.

"Mister, thank you for taking time to have a chat with me tonight. I have somewhere to be, so I can't stay any longer. The bread can keep you from going hungry. Thanks again, Ty—" Sin's eyes widened as she gasped and stopped herself, "—I mean, sir."

Tyki raised his brows, stunned. _Was she just going to say, 'Tyki'?_ It left him speechless. _But the way she stopped, she probably doesn't think it's me._

 _That was a close call,_ Sin mentally exhaled in a tired breath.

She nodded at him, "Goodnight."

Tyki smiled and gave her a little wave, seeing her go off. Once he couldn't see her anymore, he leaned back and sighed deeply. He could almost feel a smile come to his lips as he took out a cigarette and placed it between them, lighting it and taking a deep inhale, before exhaling.

 _I really needed that,_ he closed his eyes, w _ell, that was interesting. Didn't expect to bump into her here. She gave me food even when I was posing as a stranger. She really hasn't changed from back then._

He chuckled, _who knew she missed me so much?_ He was just joking, but he felt happy she did, feeling the same way. Of course, he'd feel happy if Momo, Clark and Eeez told him that, too. However, it felt like more of an impact when she did.

He opened his eyes and stared up at the sky, knowing that he had a soft spot for the girl. It was strange, what five years does to you. He sighed to himself.

A _s long as she's smiling, then that's good._

The Noah got rid of the cigarette and continued to eat the bread, but saw something shine blue. It was on his thigh. He picked it up and stared at it, wondering what it was. Once he examined it, he realised that it was one of the blue earrings that Sin always wore.

 _Why is this here?_ He questioned, trying to find the other part. He found it on the ground just next to his foot. He dusted it off and cleaned them, staring at it for a moment.

 _Must have been when she grabbed my arm,_ he paused for a moment, _how does that even work? Did it get caught somewhere?_

He glanced at his suit jacket and saw a small tear on his arm, _ah, figures._

' _ **Those are from my grandparents',**_ Tyki remembered her telling him about her earrings once. He stared at it in his hand for a moment, before taking off one of his own earrings, and replacing it with Sin's one. He placed his own in his breast pocket.

 _That way I won't lose it. I'll give it back to her when I see her next,_ Tyki thought for a brief moment, _I don't even know where she'll be. I guess I'll just hold onto it._

Tyki rubbed the back of his neck, coming to a realisation that he was treating her pretty much the same way that he did when he was in his 'white' form, just that his speech became more refined, and his appearance changed slightly too.

Tyki froze for a moment, realising something. A single thought went through his head.

 _I don't know if that's concerning or not._


	9. Chapter 8

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #8

* * *

 _Okay, so this is the red light district._

Sin stood in front of the large sign that glowed brightly with various coloured lights. She pressed her lips into a thin line as she stared inside the place, seeing prostitutes of both genders trying to get people for their services, and drunk people happily swaying side to side in a place that was lively, bright and upbeat.

 _I've only ever been here once, and that was by a complete accident. I never thought I'd go in here again, to be honest._ Sin sighed to herself and shook her head a few times to clear her mind. _Okay, there's no problem if I go in, right? I'm just here to find General Cross. That's it._

With a huff of annoyance at her own hesitation, the female stepped into the district. She looked around the place to see which building was the grandest, as the grander it was, the more customers it had, and the more money it would rake in. The grandest would be the best and highest ranking brothel.

Sin could feel many eyes on her as she walked through the place briskly. She could feel that these stares were different; she didn't want to be the subject under their gazes. It was almost predatory.

 _I should hurry up and go do what I need to do._

She spotted a large brothel around the central area of the district. It was grand and beautiful, reminiscent of a modern castle. It was called 'Tenseiro', which was written in Chinese.

 _Could this be the high ranking brothel?_ Sin stopped in front of it and just stared, unsure of how to go about things.

 _Do I just go in or do I just wait for them to notice me?_ She stood there awkwardly as she felt gazes on her from people passing by.

"Do you have any business here?"

Sin felt a shadow cast over her. She looked up, and had to incline her head further than she normally did, seeing the face of a bald…

… _woman? She's got breasts so it's got to be…right?_ Sin's blue eyes were widened and a frozen smile was on her lips. She stared at the person in front of her, almost afraid of letting out a sound.

 _Scary!_

"Hm? You are…" The tall woman leaned forward a little and took a good look at Sin, eyeing her up and down with an angry looking expression. She paused for a little, then grabbed her cloak and pulled it to the side, showing the Black Order's uniform underneath.

She let her clothing go, "Come with me, exorcist."

Sin blinked a couple of times, unsure of what just happened. She followed the tall woman, as she found her safer than the people outside on the street.

 _She looked at my uniform?_ Sin realised while following her. _I'm hoping that's a good thing._

The tall woman went inside a door at the back, telling the exorcist to follow her quickly. Sin did, and went inside, seeing the grand structure's interior. It was as grand as it was outside, if not grander.

The tall woman stood on the side of the room, and another woman was sitting in one half of the room, to Sin's right. She bowed slightly to Sin when she entered, which Sin responded to.

"Sit down, Sin." The lady sitting down gestured to the opposite side of the room.

The exorcist gave her a look of surprise, _how did she know my name?_

She sat down opposite the lady and admired how beautiful she was. The makeup and her attire certainly accelerated her beauty.

"I hear you go by that name now." The lady smiled at Sin.

Smiling a little back at the woman, Sin asked, "I don't think we have met before, Madam. How is it that you know my name?" She changed her speech to polite.

"I have known you since you were young, Sin," The lady added, "You might not remember me, but I remember you. I have informants all around here, and they have notified me of your return."

Sin was shocked; she didn't expect any of this.

The lady continued, "I heard you saved one of my friends from slave traders – for that, I thank you." She bowed her head, her hands together under the long attire sleeves.

 _A friend from slave traders?_ Sin remembered back to that time.

She shook her head, "I didn't do too much. Getting away was the biggest obstacle, and those taken made their escape well."

The lady giggled, holding a sleeve near her lips. "You are as humble as you were back then." She nodded once, "It seems you have forgotten me. That is fine, I will reintroduce myself – I am Anita, the owner of this brothel. Mahoja was the one who brought you here." She lifted her arm towards the tall woman.

"It's nice to meet you again, Anita, Mahoja." Sin nodded respectfully. Although she didn't remember them on their first encounter, she thought it would be better to say it this way, or else it may have seemed rude.

"You don't need to bow to someone like us." Anita smiled. "It is good to know that you are alive and well."

Sin just smiled, even though she felt many emotions within. _Anita…really does know me._

"I have heard that you were looking for General Cross." Anita went straight to the topic.

"You know General Cross?" The exorcist's blue eyes widened in surprise.

 _How does she know his title? Does she know him personally?_

Anita nodded once, "You are an exorcist, are you not, Sin? Mahoja and I are supporters of the Black Order."

 _So that's why Mahoja checked my uniform,_ Sin concluded.

"Yes, I am looking for clues about General Cross's whereabouts." Sin confided. She looked hopeful, "Do you have any clues as to where General Cross has gone?"

Anita's smile dropped, replaced with a serious expression. "General Cross left on a journey a couple of days ago."

"A journey?" Sin pressed, "Where did he go?"

"He set sail for Edo about six days ago."

"Six days ago…" Sin thought for a moment, adding up the dates.

 _That would be around the time that I was still in the Black Order, awaiting orders,_ Sin realised. D _id he leave knowing that exorcists would be coming to seek him out?_

"Before he left on his trip, he told me to pass a message along to you specifically when you came here to seek his whereabouts." The owner paused, "His words are as follows: 'Do not follow me to Edo. Do not go there.'"

"What…?" Sin held an expression of confusion.

Anita closed her eyes for a moment. "Do you still intend to follow him?"

Sin paused for a brief moment, thinking things through. She needed to report to Komui about this. She wasn't going to tell him what Anita had told her; the message from Cross. However, she would tell him to relay to the others to see the mistress of the brothel.

"No, not yet." Sin finally responded.

"I see." Anita fell silent after a moment, before she stood up and went over to Sin.

The exorcist stared in awe at how beautiful Anita was close up, blushing at the close proximity.

Anita placed both hands on her cheek and smiled warmly, "You're just as I remembered."

Sin reddened slightly further, unsure of what to say. She didn't remember Anita, but she seemed to remember her.

"You were 10 when I first met you. Do you remember? You got lost and ended up here. I helped you get back to the area you were familiar in."

Anita pulled her hands away and sat down happily in front of her, waiting for her reaction.

Sin just sat there, going through her large file of memories, trying to remember that specific encounter. It was nearly a decade ago, but she kept trying.

"AH!" Sin gasped suddenly, "I remember!"

Anita chuckled lightly.

"I was helping someone out to buy something but took a wrong turn and ended up here…so it was you that helped me; I didn't realise! I'm very sorry! I'm incredibly thankful for your aid!" Sin bowed to Anita. She couldn't believe she forgot something like that.

"It is fine. I'm happy you remembered." Anita pressed a hand on Sin's head, stroking her short hair, "Little princess, if you ever need help, I'll come and help you."

* * *

"She left the place half an hour ago, Master." A female dressed for a fun occasion reported, bowing her head with respect.

"Is that so?" With a wave of the hand, the female left the room.

The person called 'Master' rested their hand against their cheek, supported by the arm rests of the grand chair they sat on.

 _So she's finally come back out into the world._

With a low chuckle, they smirked.

"This will get interesting."

* * *

"Thanks for the report, Sin." Komui said over the intercom, "I take it Won has taken you to the Asia Branch?"

After leaving the brothel, Sin had been escorted to the Asia Branch by a person named Won. Like Komui said, he looked like a tall grandpa.

"Yes. I'll be staying here until the others arrive." Sin nodded to nobody in particular.

"Alright. Good work today, Sin, and goodnight." The call ended.

Sin sat in the temporary room she was given. She was just chilling there for now, recalling the day and night's events.

 _I found out about Cross; he gave me specific instructions not to go to Edo. Why is that?_ Sin tilted her head, feeling confused, _and how did he know that I was going to visit that brothel anyway? Is he psychic? And why have a specific message directed to me anyway?_

She blanked out for a moment.

 _How does he even know who I am?_

She shook her head a little and focused her attention to another detail; her encounter with Anita. _This is the second time we've met, surprisingly. I didn't know she was somehow related to Cross._

When it came to remembering the encounter with Anita when she was younger, she came to a realisation.

 _Wait a minute, doesn't that mean that was my third time to the red light district?!_

She rubbed her temples and rested on her back, before deciding that she wanted to go explore the place.

She had already met many of the people from the Asia branch when she was showed around by Won. They were all nice people, whom she was on good terms with. Even the guardian deity, For.

"I'm surprised you're even here." As Sin exited her room, For popped up next to her, arms behind her head in a casual manner.

"For!" Sin smiled at the shorter one.

The guardian deity looked up lazily at her, "Yo."

For remembered Sin, but not from the records that the Order currently held.

 _I'll just play along for now,_ For thought, eyeing the female.

"You going to explore?" For questioned with a nonchalant look.

Sin was a little surprised at how For had guessed her purpose so easily. "Yeah, I am. I haven't been here before and it's different from the European Branch, so I'm quite excited."

For snickered, "Don't get lost like a certain Branch head did."

"Get lost?" She raised a brow. "A certain Branch head?" She paused for a brief moment, "Are you talking about Chief Bak?"

For laughed out loud and slapped her on the back, finding it way too funny. She was there to experience it, after all. "That's right! He gets lost even now!"

A nearby golem screeched, " _ **I CAN HEAR YOU, YOU KNOW**_!"

* * *

"Spar?" Sin stared at Komui with a tilt of the head. "With whom?"

" _ **With For, the guardian**_." Komui repeated with a smile. " _ **You met her yesterday**_."

After the long exploration of the Asia Branch the previous night before, Sin had returned safely without getting lost. It was currently the morning, just after breakfast. Komui had phoned in to ask about her current situation.

"Why For?" She questioned. Was For a combat type?

Komui chuckled, "She isn't called the guardian deity without a reason."

"I'm pretty strong, you know." For manifested beside Sin, giving her an annoyed look. "Don't underestimate me just because I look like this."

Sin sighed lightly, a nervous laughter coming from her. "I guess I'll spar with For. My skills aren't that great yet so go a little easy on me."

"Don't just tell her to go easy on you." Bak used a clipboard and lightly hit the top of Sin's head with it, having just come into the multi-communication room. "You've been sparring against Kanda, so it should be fine for For to not go easy on you." He stood next to Sin, placing the clipboard down.

Won had come into the room too, offering everybody tea.

 _Wouldn't guardian deities be stronger than Kanda? Or is it the other way around?_ Sin thought with genuine curiosity. She mentally sweat dropped, _maybe both._

"Well, it's settled then." Komui nodded. He turned to Sin after glancing at Bak, "Sin, you will go spar with For. It'll be a good change of pace to fight someone new."

The exorcist nodded in agreement, "Ok, Chief."

"You two can go now." Bak smiled at For and Sin.

"Oh, um, alright." Sin nodded to the others in the room in acknowledgement before heading out to the sparring grounds.

For stayed behind for a little bit, raising a brow. She glanced at Komui, whose expression had changed to one of seriousness, and then at Bak's, whose expression matched his. She frowned with annoyance.

"Oi, Bak, what's going on?" For placed her sleeve like arms on her hips, rocking back and forth her feet. She knew something was up when they had serious expressions. Plus, Bak was a huge idiot who was like an open book.

Bak exchanged glances with Komui, unsure. "Just Order stuff."

"I've been here longer than you." For deadpanned. She sighed and turned on her heel, "Whatever. Tell me if anything important comes up."

"She's as sassy as ever." Komui commented with a chuckle.

Bak sighed, knowing it was all too true.

* * *

"I'm not going easy on you." For smirked at the young exorcist, knowing full well that she was no match for her.

Sin sweat dropped and laughed nervously. She still didn't know whether or not that was a good or bad thing. It was either she get half killed doing this, or fully killed. There was pretty much no in between.

 _Would this be considered 'feeding to the dogs'?_ Sin forced a smile on her lips when For's arms became blades of steel, glistening when the light hit its edges.

For's lips curled into a sinister smile, almost as if she was a sadistic killer waiting for her prey to scream and cry, begging for mercy.

 _I don't think guardian deities are supposed to be this scary!_ Sin felt a slight shiver go down her spine. _I don't want to die this way! Not through sparring, at least!_

"You'll die if you don't take out your Innocence." For almost sounded like she was taunting. She was on her tip toes now, waiting for a moment to strike.

Sin curled her fingers around the hairpin, pulling it from the sheath around her belt. Holding it in front of her, she activated her Innocence, now holding a spear sword instead of a hairpin. She got into a position that enabled her to parry or dodge any offensive attacks, waiting for For to make the first move.

"Now that that's settled…" For lurched forward, so quick that the eye couldn't adjust.

Before she knew it, Sin had skidded back from the impact, holding her Innocence up in defence. The clash of metal rung in her ears.

"Argh…" Sin groaned lightly. She looked at her hands and Innocence, feeling them go red from clutching it too tightly.

 _I didn't even see that!_ She went back to look at For, who was there one second, before disappearing, then appearing right back in front of her, throwing her arm back to swipe forward.

 _Shit!_ Sin mentally cursed, _ah, mother and father would tell me off for that._

She wasn't prepared for this. When they said For was as strong as Kanda, they meant it. Luckily for Sin, she hadn't gone up against Kanda without him holding back even a tad bit—apparently Komui told him off for being too rough on the newbie—but it was also unlucky, as she had to deal with it now, and was not prepared or ready for a death wish.

Sin bent backwards to dodge, an expression of urgency on her face. She saw the blade just millimetres away from her nose, forcing her do a full backbend to avoid it, which proved successful. Not even five seconds after, For's arm morphed back to normal and she elbowed Sin in the abdomen, knocking the wind out of her and making a dent in the ground.

Sin couldn't breathe for the next few moments, coughing up dry air as she went down.

"Ah…ow….oh…" Sin gasped for breath, holding her stomach and pushing herself off the ground. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and tried to steady her disrupted breathing.

For was a few feet away with an amused look, "I thought you'd be worse than that."

"I'm glad…I could heighten your expectations." Sin coughed and placed the hand that was holding her stomach, to her sword hilt. She ignored the pain and focused on For, seeing that she was ready for another charge.

"That was just the warmup," For kicked a piece of rubble away and morphed her arm back to a weapon, "Let's start the real thing."

* * *

"They're…really going at it." Bak didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He felt quite sorry for the exorcist, but he also felt happy for her in that she was getting some training and getting stronger.

"How do you think she's faring against For?" Komui asked. He was still on the screen connected to the Asia Branch to oversee some things. He was doing paperwork on his table, but was currently taking brief breaks in between to talk to Bak.

Nonetheless, Komui was pretty much getting updates about his little sister's friend so that he could tell them later that Sin was doing okay.

"Sin's fighting style is similar to Kanda's, but it makes sense since she trained under him," Bak started, "But her movements are rough and too gentle for fighting. Was she a dancer?" Bak had his fist under his chin, holding up that arm with his other.

Komui seemed to give a light nod. He wasn't too sure of it himself, but he did remember hearing something about it from Kanda when he was reporting about how her training was coming along.

Now that he thought about it, he didn't really know much about Sin's background, which was surprising.

"That's what Kanda said, anyway." Komui added after a moment.

Bak nodded a few times, continuing to observe the spar. For was obviously on the winning side, but Sin was trying her best, except it didn't match up to someone with many years of experience.

The Asia Branch head hummed lowly, deep in thought.

 _Her movements are swift and light, almost like a feather. But the movements of her offensive is somewhat similar to Kanda's,_ Bak narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, seeing her expression as she fought.

"What's wrong, Bak?" Komui asked.

"Nothing." The blonde replied. His eyes reverted back to where the two were fighting, seeing it through the lens of the golems.

It had nearly been two hours since they had started sparring.

 _I'm surprised she's managed to hold out for this long,_ Bak thought with mild surprise. _She doesn't seem like the type to be able to take on something which requires good stamina._

" _ **You're getting weaker**_!" For taunted, throwing a kick the exorcist's way, " _ **Where did all that fire power go? I thought you were better than this!**_ "

Bak sweat dropped at For. She was blunt and direct as usual, which still shocks him to this day, even after knowing her all his life.

 _She's right, though. Her moves are getting sloppier and she doesn't seem to be backing them up with any real force. She's mainly on the defensive, too,_ the half German branch head turned to Komui.

"Does she do this when she's training with Kanda?" He asked.

The Chief only nodded once, "Most lessons are quite long, but she does manage to hold out quite well. Though, she does takes breaks in between. That's not the case here, is it?" He eyed the fight.

"This is good practice for her, then." Bak smiled and placed his hands on his hips.

 _I guess I'm worried for nothing._

"Hm?" Komui knitted his brows together, seeing a change of pace in the events of the spar.

Following Komui's gaze, Bak watched too, seeing that there were indeed steps that were changing in Sin's follow up sequence.

* * *

 _What's this?_ For jumped back and defended against Sin's shots, feeling more impact behind them than before.

She evaluated her situation currently, feeling that her opponent was getting serious.

"Hey, hey, if you still had this much strength left you could've used it earlier." For dodged a lunge from the girl, pulling her arm back and throwing it so that it was going for her neck.

" _ **For, wait, WAIT! FOR, DON'T KILL HER!**_ " Bak shouted into the golem.

 _I'm not going to kill her, you idiot!_ For made an expression of pure annoyance at Bak's needless worry. _I'm going to stop just an inch away from her neck! Stupid!_

For gasped, her eyes widening. She abruptly stopped her attack and jumped back, her whole body tense, cold sweat forming. She was in a mix of shock and astonishment when seeing the other girl, who had protruded something from her back, something that was almost transparent to the eye, something akin to a pair of wings. They were glowing green ever so slightly.

"What…" The words didn't even come out from her mouth as she stood there, a terrifying feeling at the pit of her stomach.

For couldn't see Sin's face properly, but when she blinked, she was right in front of her, sending a powerful kick into her abdomen and throwing her all the way to the stone wall, making a large dent.

" _ **FOR!**_ " Bak shouted. The golem flew around frantically.

For coughed up blood, holding her stomach as she stared at the ground, then at Sin, with eyes as wide as plates. She pushed herself up, but before she could even stand, Sin used her Innocence to slash the air, sending shockwaves towards her.

For didn't even have time to wipe her mouth before just managing to dodge the attacks. She could hear the wall behind her crack from the impact. When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw the slashes from the sword covering the surface of the wall.

With an alarmed look, For whipped back to Sin, seeing her stop for a moment. For that second, For saw her face – and it was something that she wouldn't ever forget.

Glowing red eyes like a demon's, and the expression of a hunter.

 _That's not Sin!_ For clenched her teeth together.

"Who _are_ you?" She spat some blood out to the side, wiping her mouth. "Who the _hell_ are you?!"

Sin only chuckled lowly, before sending an amused smirk towards For. With her free hand, she pushed back her hair and stared at her hand, then examined the Innocence.

"Ah…so we meet again," She said, before doing some practice moves with it. She turned to For, "Should we continue what we started?" The smile on her face was exactly like Sin's, but the intent behind it was chilling.

For glared at her. Should she continue the battle?

"Ah." The red eyed Sin turned to look at her Innocence, which started to glow green. She clicked her tongue and sent a smile towards For.

For froze in her place, becoming rigid.

Sin spoke only one phrase, "Good day."

Her Innocence stopped glowing and the transparent wings that had protruded from her back had vanished. Her eyes had reverted back to their original crystal blue, where she stared at all that was in front of her, before realising that For was hurt.

"For! For, what happened?!" Sin headed to where the guardian was. She was shocked that she was bleeding and the wall behind her had become marred with battle scars. "Are you okay?!"

For stumbled on her feet, finally able to move them again, before collapsing on the ground, breathing heavily.

" _ **FOR! Are you alright?!**_ " The golem containing Bak's voice flew over to the guardian, fretting over her like Bak did on the other side.

"I'm fine, Bak!" For winced when she tried to straighten up.

 _That kick that she did…if I were a regular person it would've broken my ribs,_ For was glad for the fact that she was an artificial intelligence with her own mind and freedom, though she didn't like how she could feel pain.

"For, For, are you okay? Why are you so injured? What happened?!" Sin was starting to fret just like Bak did, which started to annoy the orange haired one.

"I'm fine, dammit! Stop asking me so many times!" For snapped, using her long sleeved arm to hit Sin over the head. "I'm not so weak that you need to worry about me!"

Sin yelped when her head was hit. It wasn't so hard that it would bruise, but it still hurt a little. She rubbed the spot where For hit, feeling herself suddenly going lightheaded. "Whoever did this must have been really strong…"

For stared at her like she was dumb. "Hah?!" She couldn't hide her disbelief.

Sin tried to fight the overwhelming feel of tiredness, but ultimately succumbed, suddenly falling asleep. She fell onto For, who let out a loud "OUCH!" when she caught her.

"Send somebody over!" For complained to the golem, holding Sin shakily.

" _ **O-okay! I'll send Won over to get her.**_ " Some muffled orders were heard from the intercom, assuming that Bak was talking to Won.

For put Sin onto the side, placing her down gently. She stared at her face for a long while, thinking about what had just happened. It was a spur of the moment, but it was something that she wouldn't forget.

 _That red eyed person…who were they? That wasn't Sin._

Won had come with some of the medical team, taking Sin to the infirmary to get her treated for any cuts and bruises.

As she watched them walk away with the unconscious girl, For was reminded of the smile that the red eyed person gave her before they seemed to vanish.

 _That wasn't just any smile—_

" _ **For! I'll come to fix you up so stay where you are!**_ " Bak could be heard going down the stairs.

— _that was the smile of a hunter telling its prey that they would be back._

* * *

Inside of Hevlaska was the Cube, where all Innocence was a part of. During the hours of the morning before lunch, she had felt the Cube resonating with something, thrashing about uncontrollably. She could feel it writhing inside of her as if trying to get out, causing her unimaginable pain.

She bent over with a groan, "The Cube…is resonating with something…" Her hands held her stomach.

The Great Generals stood up one after another, obscured by the shadows of their hoods and the building structure.

"It's…dark…and painful…" The Cube started to glow green for a moment, before glowing red for several.

"It's…painful…" Hevlaska gasped, "Get…Komui…"

A Great General sent a message via golem to the Branch Chief on Hevlaska's orders, before sitting back down in unison with the other Generals.

The Cube became green, abruptly stopping, and calming down completely. Hevlaska let out heavy breaths, looking down at the Cube's form.

 _No…it can't be…_

Hevlaska heaved a heavy sigh and relaxed ever so slightly so that her form was still there.

 _It's started._

* * *

"You saw what happened too, didn't you, Komui?" Bak proceeded to use his family's ancient art to heal For, before she went back into her resting place inside the sacred wall.

The image of Komui at his desk could be seen via video. He had a concentrated look, "I did."

 _But just what_ was _that?_ Komui thought with furrowed brows. He had never seen anything like that before—it was like Sin was a completely different person.

"Their styles of fighting are completely different, too." Bak recalled, "But their step sequence is very similar."

"Step sequence? What do you mean?" The European Chief questioned with curiosity. Was Bak onto something?

"Remember when I said before that Sin's steps were like a dancers?" Bak turned to the video projection. Komui nodded. "The other person had similar steps."

The Lee was silent for a brief moment, intertwining his fingers together and hiding half his face behind them. "What does that have to do with anything, specifically?"

Bak blinked a couple of times, before being hit over the head by For, who had come out of the wall just to hit the idiot Branch Head.

"Idiot Bak!" She insulted.

"What was that for?!" Bak cried, holding his head. He didn't deserve all this hitting!

For turned to Komui, "That wasn't Sin. That was a completely different person with completely different attack patterns. Different from Kanda's."

Komui thought for a moment, _for Bak to say that they have similar step sequences means that the other Sin is probably a form of dancer, too. But that doesn't really matter, knowing what kind of hobbies that other person has. For's statements about the other Sin being completely different to, probably opposite to, the original Sin is concerning. Does that mean that the_ other _Sin is a different person altogether?_

 _But that doesn't make sense—was she possessed? By_ what _? I don't think we can explain this scientifically at all._

Komui pondered, "Just what caused this to happen? If I remember, For, you were close to slicing Sin's head off."

"I was going to stop an inch before I actually do!" For protested with anger. She felt like they didn't get that she wasn't trying to kill her.

"Ah! That might have been the trigger! Isn't that when you went on the defensive?" Bak commented.

"Yeah." For recollected, "Something changed at that time."

"Something changed?" Komui pressed.

For didn't really know how to put it into words how she felt, so she concluded with, "She became dangerous."

"Was she strong?" Komui asked. He already knew half the answer, but he wanted For to elaborate.

"More than she is now. The normal one is fine and improving slowly but this one is on another level." For frowned and crossed her arms. "If I had ribs she would have broken them!"

"It's not really Sin's fault…" Bak nervously spoke.

"Of course not!" For snapped. "I just told you that it was a completely different person! One who looked like her but with red eyes!"

"Red eyes?" Komui raised a brow. When he was watching the video he didn't see Sin have red eyes, but For would know because she was actually there to see it in the flesh.

"Yeah! Her eyes went red and she had these green glowing wings that I could barely see on her back, too. And then when that disappeared, Sin went back to normal!" For huffed.

"Thanks for telling me about that, For." Komui smiled at the guardian. He felt that was a vital piece of information.

"No problem." For nodded and did a wave, "If that's all, I'm going to sleep. I'm tired and need rest." She went back into the wall.

Bak crossed his arms, "Should we document this?" He asked in a quieter voice.

Komui pressed his lips together. Out of all the current problems the Order had right now, Sin has just added herself to the list.

"No. I don't think we should. Don't document it. We'll just remember what happened here. Don't tell anyone else what happened." Komui ordered.

Bak nodded, "I was thinking the same thing. I'll tell the others to keep quiet."

"Roger." For's arm reached out, agreeing with what they said, before going back in.

Komui melted onto his desk in a comical manner, feeling utterly exhausted. "I have so many things to take care of, and another one just got added to the list…" He moaned, fake crying.

Bak sweat dropped, _that's what you get for being a Branch Chief, Komui._

" _ **Chief Komui! Hevlaska's chamber, now!"**_ The voice belonged to one of the Great Generals.

It was from the same golem that was being used as a transmitter for the video call between Komui and Bak.

Komui picked himself up from his desk and chugged down the whole cup of coffee before wiping his mouth and standing up. "Alright. I'm coming now." There was a click to signal the end of the separate call.

"If anything comes up just report to me." Komui stopped the video after seeing Bak nod.

He headed off for Hevlaska's chamber, arriving there when she was leaning over, holding her stomach like a baby in the womb. He could see the Cube thrashing about, glowing red.

Komui quickly headed to Hevlaska. By the time he had gotten there, the Cube had stopped abruptly, became green, then calmed down and stopped glowing.

"Hevlaska, what's wrong?" Komui stared at the Cube with confusion. What was it that he just saw? It was unusual for the Cube to do such a thing.

"It…has started…" Hevlaska seemed to be short of breath. It sounded like she had been in a great deal of pain.

"Started? What has?" Komui urged.

Hevlaska let out a long, shaky breath.

" _Seraphim_."


	10. Chapter 9

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #9

* * *

" _ **She's about to kill you, you know. Do you want her to kill you? You don't stand a chance against her. Let me fight her. I'll kill her before she kills you. Let me show her what you've got."**_

" _No! This is just a spar! Don't kill her! I'm just here to polish my skills and do some extra training!"_

" _ **You are utterly boring. She's about to kill you and all you do is say that it's a spar? That it's training? Hahaha! You are naïve! Spars are just another way of killing a person under the guise of telling them it is a fake fight!"**_

" _Why are you doing this?! Stop! Just stop!"_

" _ **Why? It's not like you'll listen to me anyway."**_

" _Why are you always in my head? Why are you telling me to do these things? I don't want to! I don't want to do these catastrophic things to people!"_

" _ **Why? It's not like you haven't done something like that before—"**_

" _Stop it!"_

" _ **Stop? Hahaha! I'd like to see you try!"**_

* * *

Sin abruptly sat up, panting heavily. She had just had a dream, one that was so real, but a repeat of what happened halfway during her sparring match with For.

She rubbed her eyes gently, feeling weary even after waking up. She felt refreshed, but also dead beat tired. The dream didn't help, either.

 _After I heard that voice in my head, everything went blank. I don't remember what happened then. What happened to For? She was hurt pretty badly…_

Just thinking about the voice that kept talking to her was making her feel anxious. She didn't like that voice in her head—it was like someone was trying to pry into her life, and claim it as theirs.

Sin slid out of the infirmary bed and headed out the door, trying to find her way around. She had memorised most of the place after the tour.

 _It's been a while since I memorised something so complicated._

She stepped out the door after placing her feet in the provided slippers, walking to where For was resting. She wanted to see how the guardian was doing.

It was still the same day, but around 3.30pm or so. She had slept a while.

Sin was halfway there when she was approached by Bak, who had found her wandering the place.

"You're awake, Sin. How are you feeling?" Bak questioned. He could definitely see the demeanour was different from what he had seen before in the battle.

"I'm feeling very good, thank you. I'd like to thank you for the good care this Branch has provided me." Sin did a small courtesy and smiled warmly.

Bak blushed, before hives started to pop up all around his face. He let out a little scream and almost immediately, Won was by his side.

Sin smiled as she drank her tea beside Bak's futon. Won was taking care of him, replacing the cold cloth on top of his forehead with another. His hives were getting better.

… _is this really necessary?_ Sin sat there with a vacant but happy looking face.

Bak observed the Chinese exorcist carefully. The expression the _other_ Sin had shown was intimidating, but the _original_ one wasn't.

 _That's a mystery we need to solve,_ Bak coughed once, causing Won concern.

"Sin, I'd like to perform an examination of you." Bak said.

"As in a physical examination?" Sin tilted her head slightly, then took another sip of her tea.

"Not just a physical one, but one where we'll also examine your Innocence and many other aspects to see your state." Bak explained. "Of course, for the physical examination I'll get one of the female scientists to do it."

"Alright. When should I go?" Sin asked. She didn't have anything to do currently except for eating food.

"After his hives clear up." Won nodded at Sin, "Why don't you eat your meal first, we'll be here."

"Oh, um, okay…thank you." Sin handed the tea cup back to Won and stood, bowing slightly before leaving for the cafeteria.

* * *

Komui was at his desk, thinking deeply. His brows were knitted together that it formed a crease between them. His coffee, made by Reever, was untouched. The continuous pile of paperwork was also untouched.

With all that was happening right now, he felt the pressure to continue persevering.

 _Lenalee and the others…are apparently fighting with Suman, and the huge barrage of akuma that came with it._ Komui's eyes narrowed, knowing that Suman had betrayed the Order. _A Fallen One…_

Snapping his mind out of the thoughts about his sister's current predicament, he changed his attention to the situation with Sin.

 _Sin. Sin Diae,_ Komui repeated those words in his head. _An exorcist with a spear sword Innocence, invocation rate 70 or so percent. Someone who is courteous and kind, a likely dancer, a person who is also another person._

Hevlaska's words repeated many times through his head, and the one word that stood out among the rest was—

"Seraphim." Komui whispered, intertwining his fingers. He rested his forehead against his thumbs and stared at the front of his desk.

 _Where have I heard that before? What was it?_

The Chief felt like he had heard such a word a long time ago, but he couldn't remember any details about it.

Finding his brainstorming not enough, he left to the archives, where he searched around for 'Seraphim'. He couldn't find anything of the sort in the normal archives, not even in the locked archives that were hidden below the original.

 _Why can't I find anything?_ Komui rubbed his temples, completely perplexed at that problem.

 _Seraphim; according to the Bible it is the name of the highest rank in angel hierarchy. A six winged figure that flies above God's throne, two wings covering their face, two wings covering their legs, and two wings to fly. They sing to praise God._

 _What is Hevlaska referring to?_ Komui pondered. He had a feeling she wasn't talking about the angel in the Bible.

 _In art, Seraphim is often depicted red, armed with a flaming sword…_ Komui pushed that thought out of his mind, finding it irrelevant.

"Ah!" Komui stopped short, a sudden thought in his mind.

 _Depicted red…_ Komui recalled the Cube glowing red and thrashing about like a child during a tantrum.

 _No…it can't be…_

Komui remembered something a long time ago, a few years before he became the Chief of the European branch. It was a word of warning from a Cardinal that had come to give his congratulations – one that he had nearly forgotten.

" _ **Since you are the next Chief of this branch, let me tell you something. If there is ever an exorcist that has an Innocence resembling that of an angel, send them to Central immediately."**_

At that time, Komui had no idea what that Cardinal was talking about. So, he asked him what he meant. The Cardinal's reply was—

" _ **That Innocence is special. We call it 'Seraphim'. They will be under the special care of Central officers."**_

Back then, Komui had taken those words and treasured them in his mind, not knowing if he would ever come across such an Innocence. But now that he had grown older and experienced many more things, he had come to realise that those words from the Cardinal had a hidden meaning. That the true meaning of those words 'under the special care of Central officers' was not only a façade, but something that confused him.

 _But why dispose of an Innocence accommodator when fighting against the Earl?_ Komui took a seat on a nearby chair. He rested his cheek against his fist. _That goes against what the Order needs._

 _If Seraphim is an Innocence that Central disposes of, why can't I find any records on them? That's odd,_ Komui stood up and paced back and forth between the archive shelves.

 _If Central wants Seraphim, only to dispose of them, that would mean that they do not want them. That would explain why there are no records. Not even in the locked archives. But why? Why would Central go to such lengths?_ Komui stopped abruptly.

 _What are they trying to hide? And what exactly is 'Seraphim'?_

* * *

"Okay, we've just finished up here." Bak was typing quickly on the main computer in the multi-communications room, finalising the results from Sin's examination.

"That was faster than I thought," Sin commented, sliding her jacket back on. She got off the table that she was previously laying down on, walking over to where Bak was.

She stared at the screen, seeing him input the information from the clipboard that he used. His computer skills were very quick, and he got his work done well.

 _I don't think he's as lazy as Chief Komui,_ Sin thought with a smile, _except I think Chief actually does his work when no one's around._

"Yeah," Bak pressed the 'enter' key and waited for it to get printed off. He clipped it under the clipboard and skimmed through it, then met Sin's eyes, "Your physical condition is fine. The only problem is probably the toll of your Innocence on you, and the toll of having a physically demanding job. Make sure to get enough rest and nutrition. Also, you and your Innocence's synchro rate have risen to around 85% or so, which is good, meaning you guys are getting along more, and you'll be able to wield it better."

He paused for a moment, "Oh, I also forgot to mention, you seem to have a good recovery rate. It's quite high."

"Good recovery rate?" Sin quizzed. She didn't think her body's healing abilities were adept. "They're just like any other normal person's."

"Was that the case before you became an exorcist?" asked Bak.

Sin nodded, "Scrapes, scratches and bruises all healed around the same time as everyone else." She placed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "I'm not sure what's happening with the current recovery rate but I don't think it's sustainable."

Bak hummed in thought, placing the clipboard on his thigh. He tapped his index finger repeatedly with rhythm. After a moment, he spoke up. "Don't worry about it, then. That might have been a miscalculation on my part. I'll look into it."

 _Except it's not a mistake,_ Bak thought. _That's confusing. Maybe it's just a temporary thing?_

Sin smiled, "Alright. I'll be checking up on For, so you know where to find me." She bowed slightly at the Asia Branch Chief and left the room, heading to where the shorter guardian was.

 _I hope she's okay. Those injuries looked horrible,_ Sin thought with worry. She hurriedly made her way to where she remembered For's resting place to be. When she arrived, she took a glance around and went forward, then knocked lightly on the wall.

"For? Are you there?" She asked gently. She waited for a minute or so, wondering if For was sleeping.

 _I'll knock once more, then._ Sin repeated her actions and waited, but the guardian didn't appear.

She took a couple of steps back from the wall, going back down the stairs that led up to it.

"I guess she's not here…" Sin concluded with a small frown. She shook her head and brightened up, heading off to the cafeteria. The examination had gone on a little longer than she had thought, and she was getting hungry.

Sin's mind was troubled as she made her way there, _dessert before dinner, or dinner before dessert…_

Back at the communications room, Bak stared at the sheets of paper on the clipboard, deep in thought. Apart from the things that he had already said to Sin, he left out once crucial part—about her Innocence.

 _Why were there traces of Innocence on her body?_

That stumped Bak. Normally, there would be Innocence traces _inside_ the body, but here, it was different—it was _on_ her body. Meaning it was external.

 _Did a part of her Innocence shave off or something when she fought with For? Seems a little farfetched but it's a possibility._

"Bak Chan-chan," Komui's face popped up on the projected screen, singing Bak's name in jest.

The half German Chinese snapped out of his thoughts with a jump, startled at Komui's random appearance. "Komui?!"

"Long time no see, Bak-chan!" Komui used an annoying high pitched voice on purpose, trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

Bak sighed, ignoring the addition to his name. "We saw each other yesterday. What do you want?"

Komui cleared his throat, "I'll get straight to business – I take it you've finished your examination of Sin?"

The blonde nodded, "We just finished. Do you want the results?"

Komui nodded, and Bak told him what he needed to know, including what he didn't tell the girl.

"I see. So 85%," Komui paused, "What do you mean traces of Innocence on her body?"

"Just that. There were traces. It was around her back, but only externally. We can't do tests for internal Innocence traces like Hevlaska, so you might need to bring Sin to Hevlaska." Bak crossed his arms and legs, placing the clipboard elsewhere.

"I see." The Chief seemed hesitant to say something, but then decided for it. "Bak, have you ever heard of 'Seraphim'?"

"Seraphim?" Bak raised a brow, "You mean the angel from the Bible?"

Komui shook his head, "No, not that one. I mean the Innocence, Seraphim."

"Innocence?" Bak thought for a bit, staring at the keyboard. He racked his mind for anything related to it, until finally, he remembered something, "Ah!"

"You've heard of it before?" Komui was eager to know.

"I heard my mother and father talking about it a long time ago." Bak placed his thumb on his chin, "I don't remember too much, but I do recall them saying that **'Seraphim has died'**."

Komui didn't expect that type of information. He looked at Bak with confusion. "What?"

"I'm not sure if it was an Innocence or not, but they had mentioned that ' **Seraphim has died'** and ' **Where did the Innocence go**?' in relation to that." Bak elaborated. He realised, "That would mean it's an Innocence, right?"

Komui's eyes widened and he leaned forward slightly in the video, "Do you know anything else?"

Bak leaned back slightly, wondering what Komui was up to. He shook his head, "N-no, I don't know anything more…I think."

Komui sighed and leaned back.

"What's all this about 'Seraphim'?" Bak questioned.

Komui confided, "Hevlaska mentioned something about Seraphim starting again."

"Starting again? Is Seraphim such an important matter?" Bak raised a brow.

"Yes," The Chief held the look of frustration, but not at the current situation, but by what he already knew regarding Central and Seraphim. He had cast his gaze off to another angle, but then went back to Bak, "Do you know anyone who would know about such an Innocence?"

The blonde thought for a brief moment, "My grandfather, and For, might know…" Bak trailed off, "I think that's it."

"Are they there now?"

"Grandfather's here, but I think For's resting from the match earlier today." Bak glanced at the golem cameras on another screen projection, which showed Sin walking away from For's wall.

Komui fell silent, thinking over his options. He wanted to speak to both of them, but there was a chance that they didn't know anything either. Initially, one of his options was asking Central directly, but that most likely wasn't going to work, as Central was the one that got rid of all the documents in the first place, meaning they wanted to erase all traces of it.

 _Both For and Zu are nearly the century old mark. Hevlaska, too. I could ask Hevlaska, but will she really tell me?_ Komui sighed through his nose.

"Am I able to talk to your grandfather?" He asked.

"Do you want me to call him over?" Bak questioned.

"I'd like to meet him face to face some time to discuss some things," Komui added, "That can wait a little longer, but I'll contact you when I need to talk to Zu."

Bak nodded slowly, _this Seraphim thing must be a huge deal._

"Take care of Sin, Bak." Komui's tone had shifted to seriousness. He had a stern expression on his face, one that he normally did when he was in formal situations with Central or high ranking figures.

Bak noticed the immediate change, "O-okay."

Normally Komui didn't ask him for favours or anything of the sort unless it was absolutely necessary. It may have seemed like something trivial, but it was something that Komui wanted to do at all costs.

Komui smiled small with a nod, before the video cut off.

Bak stared at the blank screen for a while, letting Komui's words settle in.

 _Seraphim? Innocence?_ Bak stroked his imaginary beard and looked off to the side, thinking deeply. _But what's this got to do with Sin?_

Then, it dawned on Bak.

 _Oh, shit,_ he cursed mentally. _It can't be…wait, no, it's too early. It's too early for us to know anything._

 _Dammit! We barely know anything about Seraphim, anyway!_

Bak searched the computer for the records of Sin's examination that was saved not too long ago. It popped up on the screen, allowing for Bak to look through the data.

 _Since this is data straight from the machine that did the examination, I might be able to get something from examining the Innocence up close,_ he clicked the outlined shape of her Innocence, watching it show up with data on the screen.

His eyes scanned through it quickly, but there was nothing the machine could tell him, apart from the synchro rate, how it affects her body, and the weapon's measurements.

 _This doesn't help at all!_ The Branch head sighed and closed the data.

Won went to his side, offering him a cup of tea he thoughtfully prepared.

"Chief Komui is going to be gathering more information from his side, so you should do some on this side." Won suggested, handing him the cup.

Bak took a whiff of the fragrance of tea, finding that Won had prepared jasmine. He hummed gently, "Yeah, I should."

" _ **Oi, Idiot Bak**_!" For's voice sounded through the intercom of a specific golem flying around Won. It was loud and piercing.

"For?!" Bak nearly dropped his cup of tea but managed, nearly jumping out of his skin at the sudden shout near his ear.

" _ **Take care of this idiot for me!**_ " For's face popped up as a video, and she seemed to have someone on her back, which she threw onto something.

"Take care of what?"

" _ **This exorcist**_!" For pushed the golem so that it showed the body of a white haired exorcist, one that Bak recognised from the list of current active exorcists.

"Isn't that Allen Walker?!" He exclaimed.

" _ **Hurry up and get your ass over here! I dragged him back from the forest! I'm tired**_!" For complained.

"O-Okay!" Bak quickly placed the tea cup to the side, and with Won, the two headed to where For currently was, with Won guiding the way.

* * *

"…what?" Sin stared at Bak as if he was crazy. "Why would Allen be here?"

"He was injured in a fight with a Noah." Bak explained.

Judging by the serious tone in the Branch Head's voice, Sin deduced that he wasn't joking around.

"Where is he? How is he faring? Are they serious injuries?" Sin bombarded Bak with questions, "Can I go see him?!"

Bak shook his head, "No, not yet. He still needs to recover."

Sin opened her mouth to complain, but then decided against it as it was probably true. She sighed dejectedly, worrying for her friend, "When Allen is good again, please tell me."

"Alright." Bak placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a small but reassuring smile. "He'll be alright soon, don't worry too much." Sin just nodded. He added, "Also, For is alright after yesterday's spar. You can go talk to her now. When you went to see her last she was actually out."

"Okay…"

"Alright, I have a few things to do. Well then." He waved and left.

Sin just stood there, forgetting what she was going to do. It was the early afternoon when Bak had come to tell her the news.

 _That would mean that Allen was brought here by For last night. Is Allen okay? I hope he's resting well. I hope nothing happened to him when he fought the Noah._

 _But it's odd that Allen's here. Why didn't I hear anything from Komui or Bak about this? Wasn't I supposed to go meet with them when they were going to go to Anita? What about the others? Where did they go? Are they alright?_

It was then that Sin realised that she didn't know what was happening to her companions, and that she was told nothing by those who did. But why? It wasn't as if she was an ignorant person, or that she wasn't a part of them, was she? It puzzled her.

 _Did Bak and Komui forget? Or was there no time to tell me?_ Sin thought up various reasons, but although many did hold water, it still wasn't a plausible excuse to just not tell her. After all, they were going to fight the Earl and the family of Noah, as well as akuma.

 _I might as well go ask,_ Sin followed the way which Bak went, trying to find her way to him. She didn't know exactly where he was so she just went to For's wall, hoping that she would know.

Heading straight there, the female exorcist heard voices talking when she neared the place.

 _Is that For and Bak talking?_ She questioned. _It wouldn't be good to interrupt them…_

However, she managed to figure out that Bak wasn't talking to For, but rather another male. Someone she knew well.

 _Allen?! I thought he was resting!_ Sin took a few light steps towards the spacious room, able to eavesdrop on the main points of their conversation.

She stopped and listened.

The flow of the conversation was mainly Allen wanting to become stronger and continue on his path so that he could protect his friends, destroy akuma, and keep his promise to his father.

Sin felt herself tense when she heard Allen's worries, accompanied by the slamming of something against the wall on the male exorcist's side.

 _I never knew Allen had such worries,_ Sin wanted to laugh bitterly. _And I thought I wasn't an ignorant person. There's a lot I don't know about anyone at the Order._

Bak had continued to talk to Allen, revealing that Allen's Innocence had been destroyed by the Noah, but wasn't dead yet, and the reason why he asked him all those questions, as well as telling him that they would work on restoring his left arm.

Sin didn't have much to say. She just stood outside, staring at the ground with an unreadable expression.

 _His Innocence was destroyed…by the Noah. Allen's strong. Does that mean the Noah are stronger?_ Sin rocked on her heels, then pushed herself forward from the momentum, the wall being her aid.

"Ah, Sin, so that's where you were!" For's voice brought Sin out of her mind. The guardian deity was pulling Won around, who seemed to be…crying? And wailing about Allen.

"For…" Sin spoke softly.

For ignored her completely and went inside the room she resided, almost sprinting in. She let out a battle cry, "FOUND YOU, YOU JERK! HOW DARE YOU SLIP OUT OF YOUR HOSPITAL ROOM!"

Won and Sin heard a loud thump against something, which made them jump.

 _Did For just kick someone?!_ Sin and Won thought simultaneously with alarm, rushing inside the room.

Sin stayed near the door so that she could just look in, but Won went inside, restraining Bak and For from fighting it out physically.

 _So it was Bak that For kicked…_ Sin sweat dropped. _Do they always do this?_

For and Won introduced themselves, and Allen gave them his sincere gratitude for saving him.

It was when Allen had moved a little to the side did Sin get a better look at him – he had bandages on his chest and a Band-Aid on his face, was missing his left arm, as mentioned by Bak before due to his Innocence being destroyed by Noah, and his right arm with bandaged into a huge lump of bandage.

 _Why is there so much bandage on his hand?_ Sin questioned. _Did he fracture it?_

"Ah!" For whipped her head around to the door, seeing Sin's head peeking through. She pointed to her, "Oi, you! What are you doing, just standing there?!"

Sin laughed nervously, feeling everyone's eyes go onto her. She waved once awkwardly, "Good afternoon…?"

"Sin…?" Allen's eyes went wide. He looked a little shocked, but it was covered by a smile, "I'm glad you're well."

Sin smiled and walked over to where they all were, seeing the blood on the wall, before hitting Walker on the head with a closed fist, though gently.

"What are you doing, getting out of bed and using that injured arm of yours to hit a wall? You were dragged from a fight against the Noah, for God's sake!" Sin reprimanded, placing her hands on her hips. She frowned at Allen as he stood there with an astonished expression, the bloodied bandaged hand on his head.

"Uh…sorry?"

"I'm glad you're alive and all but you should take care of yourself more!"

"I-I'm fine, though…"

Sin let out a long sigh, "Just don't worry me like that, alright?"

Allen's gaze went downwards, before a gentle smile appeared on his lips.

"Sorry."

* * *

"Hevlaska." Komui had approached Hevlaska yet again. He needed to find out and confirm his theories about what Seraphim really was, and why Central acted a certain way towards it.

"Komui…" Hevlaska leaned down slightly. "What is the matter?"

"What you mentioned before, about Seraphim," He took a short pause, "What exactly is it? What did you mean by 'it is starting'?"

The gentle giant fell silent for a long moment, then leaned forward so that she was closer to Komui. "Do you really wish to know?"

The Chief nodded. "Yes."

Hevlaska was hesitant, but she couldn't say no to such sincere eyes. She pulled back, "I only know so much."

"That's fine. That will do."

"Seraphim, is an Innocence," Hevlaska started, "that is hated by God."


	11. Chapter 10

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #10

* * *

 _Slowly…_

 _Slowly…_

 _You will fall…_

 _Deeper, deeper…_

 _Into sleep…_

* * *

"What am I going to do now, Chief?"

" _ **What do you mean, Sin?**_ " Komui asked. They were currently talking through the phone.

Allen's training to invoke his Innocence again was taking longer than imagined, with a full two days passing already. The boy didn't even get much rest in between days.

"Allen's getting stronger and training to get his Innocence back. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. All I'm doing is helping out with the other members of the Asia Branch. Shouldn't I be strengthening and honing my skills also?" Sin told Komui her thoughts directly.

She felt like she wasn't doing anything productive to help, while Allen was doing a lot.

" _ **Why don't you train with the Finders and other experts?**_ " Komui questioned. Last time he recalled, there were a lot of people there that she could train with.

"They're busy doing other stuff. I couldn't just interrupt them," Sin hesitated for a second, "I've been training by myself, but I don't think I'll get enough battle experience this way."

" _ **I see**_." Komui thought for a long moment, pausing his hand from writing on a document. " _ **I'll request one of those experts to train—**_ "

"Ah, Sin! There you are!" Bak's voice was loud when he slammed open the door to the room she was in, seeing her on the phone. "Oh. Sorry." He raised his hands and closed the door gently.

"Branch Head?!" Sin had whipped around when she heard the door slam, "Come back! I'm just talking to Chief Komui!"

On the other side of the line, Komui sweat dropped and made a funny expression. _That was quite the earful…_

Bak slowly opened the door, peering in with his head first, before walking in slowly.

"You don't need to be so stiff, Branch Head." Sin laughed lightly, pulling the phone away from her face a little.

 _Well, that was embarrassing,_ Bak didn't break out in hives, but instead pulled a nonchalant face to show that he didn't care, to save face.

Sin had an idea of how Bak was feeling, but she didn't address it. Instead, she turned back to the phone, "I'll be a minute. Sorry, Chief."

" _ **That's fine**_."

Sin turned to Bak, "Did you want to see me?"

"Yeah." The Asia Branch Head glanced at the phone, not really caring that Komui was on the line. "I found an instructor for you."

"An instructor?" Sin quizzed. "For fighting?"

"Yes. Since For's being used to help regain Walker's Innocence, it took me a while to find someone." Bak rubbed his neck, "They're here now, so you can go train with them."

Sin now looked at Bak in a new light. _How considerate of him!_

"Thank you, Branch Head!" Sin beamed. "I'll be right there, so just tell them to wait a little bit."

"Alright. They'll be in the sparring hall." Bak did a small wave before leaving.

Sin pressed the phone to her ear, "Chief Komui, what were you saying earlier?"

Komui chuckled, shaking his head even when nobody could see, " _ **Don't worry about it**_."

"Ah, okay, then." Sin stared at the number dials of the phone. "If that is it, then I'll be going now."

" _ **Before you go, Sin**_ ," Komui stopped.

"Hm? What is it?"

" _ **Do your best**_."

"I will, Chief."

* * *

"Oi, Tyki! Did you change yo earrings or somethin', heeee?!" Jasdero stared at the male sitting on the ground, who was eating the koi fish from the lake. He looked at him at all angles, finding that it was just one of his earrings.

Tyki stared at his family with a funny expression. Oh, how he wanted to slap the fish at his face. However, he ignored them.

"What's this? Hey, you're right! Ha! What, you like jewellery now? What a girl!" David laughed loudly, pointing at the vagrant.

Tyki didn't respond and turned back to the fish, trying to ignore them.

 _They're Sin's. It's not like I'd wear these out anyway._

However, the next thing he knew, he was in the ark, facing the Millennium Earl with his other Noah family members.

 _Oh boy._

* * *

Sin felt a chill come up her spine halfway through sparring. She stopped in the middle of the match, forcing her teacher to stop, too.

"What's wrong?" The instructor asked the exorcist.

Sin glanced around into space for a short moment, wondering what that was. She turned back to her instructor, "It's nothing. Let's continue."

 _What was that…?_ She continued to feel the Goosebumps well up on her arms and legs, even when she was in the middle of sparring.

 _What_ is _this feeling? Something ominous..._

 _ **Perfect.**_

"HIDE WALKER NOW, BAK!" For scream echoed through the training halls, making them stop.

"What's happening?!" Sin turned to her teacher, but they didn't know.

 _That scream…to hide Allen? What?_ She decided to find the root cause of what was happening. "Teacher, I'm sorry, I'll be right back!"

As she sprinted to where she heard the voice, the closer she got to the source, the more she heard the havoc that was happening. Several voices could be heard, frantic, and a new voice she didn't know. The others were shouting Allen's name, as if he were dying. The new voice didn't seem fazed at all, and talked normally.

 _What exactly happened?! Did Allen get hurt?!_

The closer Sin got to the area, the more anxious and worried she got. However, for some reason, she could feel excitement.

 _ **Perfect. Play with them, and make them submit.**_

 _Shut up, talking voice!_

She shook her head to clear her mind and skidded to a halt when she saw an armoured, skeletal like akuma, and glowing geometric pieces floating behind it, with a number on top. Her blue eyes widened, and through her mind, she knew exactly what it was.

 _The Noah's Ark…_

She gulped thickly, not knowing how she knew. She focused on the situation around her, seeing that part of the science team was helping out Allen, who seemed to be connected to the akuma with a strange laser light, appearing to fade away.

"ALLEN?!" Sin cried. She was about to sprint to where her friend was and took one step forward, but a hand clamped around her shoulder, pulling her back.

She saw a blonde ponytail, immediately knowing it was Bak. "Stay back, Sin!"

"GUARDIAN DIETY," Bak held a sharp stone that he used to carve a bloody rune in his palm, "I SUMMON THEE, WITH MY BLOOD, I GRANT YOU MY PERMISSION!" He pushed his palm forward, and as if a domino effect was happening, all the walls with the same mark as the one he carved into his hand began to glow, sending out a light that converged at the akuma, immobilising it.

"CHIEF!" Those by Allen's side cried tears of happiness and relief.

"FOR, DO IT NOW!" Bak exhaled and focused.

On cue, For jumped up and severed the laser light from Allen, insulting him in the process, "You're late! Idiot Bak!"

"Yes! She cut the thread!" Rikei, a part of the science team, sighed in relief and place Allen on his back.

"Hurry and bring him over here! With this level of attack, I can only stop its movements for a few seconds!" Bak continued to use the mysterious power that hit the akuma, holding on. Sin could see the bullets of sweat starting to pour from his forehead.

"Bak…" She dropped the title she normal used for him, completely astounded by what was happening.

"SIN! DON'T GO ANYWHERE NEAR THAT AKUMA!" Being on edge, Bak shouted at Sin, who took a step back in shock.

A loudspeaker went on to direct Black Order staff to areas of safety, informing them of the akuma threat. She could hear the rest of the shouts of people, and the rush that pushed and shoved to save themselves.

Sin opened her mouth to say something, but closed it, hesitant. She glanced at Allen, seeing him slowly becoming transparent, and the people who were frantic around him. She clenched her hands into a fist and looked at For, then Bak.

"I'll go! I'll go fight it!" Sin declared.

Bak turned slightly to look over his shoulder, staring at her with an angry look, "No! You will stay here! You don't stand a chance against a level 3! And your Innocence is dangerous! Just stay back!"

Sin's arms dropped to her side, eyes wide. She stared at Bak as if he was crazy, before snapping. "BAK! I'm an exorcist! I'm supposed to be fighting akuma! I'm supposed to be helping people! I can't help people if I'm stuck here behind closed walls, with everyone trying to do the same thing! Why can't both you and Komui understand that I want to help out, not stand in the background!? And what do you mean, my Innocence is dangerous?! All Innocences are dangerous!"

The science team carrying Allen glanced over at the quarrel that Sin and Bak were having, finding it something they didn't want to get in between.

Bak ground his teeth, "YOU DYING HERE WON'T HELP ANY OF US!"

Sin froze. She then realised the extent of his words. He was right, she was wrong.

 _I already knew, yet…I…_

Sin clenched her hands into fists.

 _I'm such a selfish person. When did I become like this?_

"Go to safety like the others!" Bak pulled For onto his back and he turned around, following the science team.

Sin let them pass and followed behind them, not before taking one last look at the akuma.

 _Level 3…_

As they escaped down and followed the large crowd of people heading the same way, Rikei and Bak were entrusted with handling Allen and For, respectively. Rikei had a harder time, as if Allen was even moved or jolted too much, he would disappear.

Won was amongst the people evacuating, and managed to come through to them in the crowd.

Stopping, Bak put down For, who was supported by Sin and Won, and started to use the carved rune again, forming a huge wall that blocked the area they came from.

Sin stared at it in awe, finding such a power amazing.

 _But will that stop the akuma?_

For went up to Allen with shaky legs, gently touching him in the face. "Walker. Hang in there. You're gutsier than you look, so you'll be fine." Soon, For changed her appearance to match that of Allen's, "I'm sure you'll be able to invoke. Do your best."

"For…what are you…" Allen's light eyes enlarged as For jumped back towards the wall's opening.

"I won't be able to defeat it, so I'll buy some time for you to get out of here." She had a smile on her face, but her eyes weren't.

Amongst Allen's protests, Bak didn't speak up as For went to the other side of the wall. Finally, the wall closed and all was blocked.

Rikei held Allen back as he stared at the wall in shock, but Allen went over to Bak, pulling him by the collar. "Open it up!"

"Stop this, Walker!" Rikei sweated.

"Please, open it up!"

"I can't." Bak shut him down.

"ARE YOU JUST GOING TO LET FOR DIE?!"

That seemed to strike a chord within Bak. He had a nonchalant expression as he talked, "Listen…you, Sin and the other exorcists, are our only hope. When even one exorcist dies…do you know how much of an affect that'll have on this war? There's nothing we can do about For. If you care for her at all, Walker, endure what's happened now, and keep moving forward."

"Stop pretending to be so calm about this. You're actually feeling sick in your stomach right now, aren't you?" Allen frowned, "You've broken out in hives."

"Ah, no, this is!" Bak was crying, but he tried to desperately deny that he wasn't calm.

"I understand your feelings completely, Bak." Allen placed a hand on the wall, "I'll open this myself. I'll open this myself…and move forward!"

Sin wanted to join him, but she knew that Bak would stop her. For a strange reason, she felt as if everyone was out to stop her, especially the Branch Heads, Bak and Komui.

 _This is pointless…_

"If I open this myself, you'll have no problem, right?!" Allen sounded desperate, but his argument was valid.

"No problem…?" Bak pointed at Allen, telling the others to get a hold of him, "OF COURSE I'LL HAVE A BIG PROBLEM, YOU IDIOT!"

"You really want to save For, don't you?! As proof, even your hives are sprouting up everywhere!" Allen countered.

"FORGET ABOUT MY HIVES!" Bak exclaimed, "Because you were attacked by dark matter, your body is being broken down into molecules! You think you can fight like that?! I can punch you here and now, and your body might crumble to bits! What kind of idiot would let you go in that condition?! Listen to your orders, exorcist!"

Allen gave Bak a scary look, "Are you sure about this, Bak?" His voice dropped to a whisper, "I'll tell Komui you've been stalking Lenalee."

 _What…?_ Sin blinked a few times, wondering what the hell she just heard. _Stalking Lenalee? Bak? Stalking Lenalee?!_

"I'm _pretty sure_ you won't get off easily!"

"Wha—Wa, Wa, Wa, Walker, are you blackmailing me?!"

Sin just stood there, finding it difficult to see how things were turning out in a dire situation. _So Allen's actually somewhat evil and Bak's a stalker._

 _Okay._

"There's no use in trying. I won't withdraw!" The white haired boy declared. "When we first met, you asked me if I still intended to return to the battlefield. I replied with a 'yes'!"

"That's because I wanted to confirm if you were still willing to fight as an exorcist! With your Innocence not even restored yet, in your current state, you're just a vulnerable human being!" Bak shouted.

" _You're wrong!_ You're wrong…" Allen trailed off, "I…when I met that akuma, earlier…the blood that I thought was frozen within me pulsed excitedly through my whole body. The heart that I thought had stopped beating within me…I could feel it beating faster and faster. The feeling of my blood growing warmer as it travelled within me felt pleasant…"

"Walker? What are you saying…?"

"That's when I realised it. Before, you said that my entire body is figuratively like an anti-akuma weapon. You may have actually been right. The thing that my heart was helplessly longing for all this time…was the akuma!" Blood came down in one stream from Allen's left eye, as if it was crying for the sake of those lost souls. "I'm no longer a human being. I'm an exorcist. So please let me return to the battlefield…to the akuma."

With an illuminating glow, Allen had gone past Bak and stood at the door, unrestrained by anyone. "I'm going. Thank you, Bak."

"Walker—" Bak clenched his bloodied hand into a fist and closed his eyes, knowing that he couldn't stop the male exorcist. "O sealed God," the concrete wall opened, allowing for the body of one person to go through. He muttered, "His entire existence, is an anti akuma weapon."

Sin watched Allen's back as he headed out to the other side.

 _Don't die, Allen._

Bak pressed a hand to Sin's shoulder, "Don't step foot into the battlefield." He let go and turned around to follow Walker.

That struck a chord within Sin. It was like telling her that she was helpless, that she should stay locked up in the cage so that the outside world wouldn't contaminate her.

"Why…?" Sin spoke softly, but it came out strongly. Bak turned around, hearing the distress in her voice. "Why let Allen go…when I can't?"

The blonde Branch Head stopped, turning around slightly. "Sin, let's talk about this later."

Before he could even hear her answer, he went off after Allen.

Won placed a hand on Sin's shoulder, "Bak means you well. He's doing this for your own safety."

"And not for Allen's?! He could _die_ out there! Even Bak could die!" Sin pushed his hand off her shoulder, feeling her eyes go glossy. She wasn't about to let her friend die, especially when they were at a huge disadvantage. "This is the exact same thing that Komui was doing! Both he and Bak—are they in on this together?!"

The science team that were there stared at the Chinese girl with wide eyes, having not seen her lash out, except for now. It was something completely unexpected.

She was similar with Walker in a way that they were both exorcists and worried about the safety of others rather than themselves; the way they never lashed out until it was dire, and the way that they were stubborn. However, to those that knew both, they found that Sin was much more complicated than Allen, yet much simpler, at the same time.

Won sighed, "Please, just rest, Sin. You won't know what happens out there. You could die out there as well."

"And so could Allen!"

"Just—"

"Am I an exorcist for nothing?!" Sin cried.

Won immediately shut up, taken aback. He didn't know how to respond to such words, as he knew that whatever he said, it would backfire.

"Why is it that people can help me, but I cannot ever help them…?" Sin whispered to herself quietly, her hand covering her eyes. She could feel the burden that she carried – as one of the fighters of the Holy war; as a friend; as an exorcist.

Before, it was the weight of the nation, but this time, it was the weight of the world. It wasn't something she could take lightly.

 _ **That's why you can just burn the world to nothing but ashes. That can solve all your problems, right?**_

 _Be quiet, voice. I've had enough of you._

Sin had been hearing the voice in her head for a while now. They would always taunt her and tell her ways to destroy things, which she would decline.

 _ **What? This isn't as much as a far stretch to you escaping your duties, right?**_

 _That's a different matter. Go away._

 _ **Heheheheh…**_

"If I can't go outside…I'll wait. I'll wait and get Bak and Komui to tell me everything!" Sin declared, straightening up.

If she wasn't going to go out and fight and there was an actual reason behind it, no matter how long it takes, she was going to beat the answers out of them.

* * *

"The ' _Crown Clown'_."

Sin stared up at the screen that showed the exact happenings beyond the wall during the level 3 akuma's attack.

 _So Allen was able to find the answer to get his Innocence to invoke again…that he fought for both akuma, and humans. The Crown Clown…that suits him almost perfectly. Even the attire is suiting,_ Sin heard the door open behind her.

Bak looked back as well, noticing that the exorcist had walked in. They were in another room with many projections here and there, and Branch workers doing their best as observers.

"A 'clown'…it really does make me look like one." Allen pulled his shirt over his chest, but stopped when he reached where Sin and Bak were.

"Allen." Sin greeted with a warm smile. She was glad he had come back safely; same with Bak and For. After everything that happened with the level 3, she was on edge, especially after listening and watching the recorded events.

 _That name that the akuma said…_ Sin's eyes met Allen's steel coloured ones.

"Walker, how did your inspection go?" Bak asked.

Allen smiled at Sin as if to answer her greeting, then turned to Bak, "They said I didn't have any abnormalities."

"I see. What about your left arm?"

Allen took off his shirt, showing off his left arm. A strange tattoo seemed to have formed there since the new invocation, which made it look nearly completely different to what it looked like before.

He reached out to show it to Bak and Sin, "My senses are still a bit dull, but it's getting better."

Bak smiled, "I see." He became deep in thought, staring at the documents that were in his hands.

"Your arm looks so different, now, Allen." Sin took a step forward and leaned forward slightly to look at his arm, checking it out at different angles. "It's almost like you grew a new arm." She laughed.

"Kind of," Allen laughed along with her, finding that it was easier to smile with a friend. "Now that I think about it, does your Innocence have a name?"

Sin looked back up at Allen, caught with surprise. "My Innocence? A name?"

Allen nodded. "Mine is 'Crown Clown', Lenalee's is 'Dark Boots', Kanda's is 'Mugen', Lavi's is 'Iron Hammer', like that. I don't think I know yours."

Sin stared at Allen for a long moment, trying to figure out if her Innocence did have a name. "Ah…I don't think mine has a name yet…" She trailed off, wondering why that is.

"I see…" Allen glanced over at Bak, seeing that he was still deep in thought. "Bak?"

"Ah, it's nothing. Crown Clown, huh? That's what we'll call it." Bak snapped out of his thoughts.

"Was it strong?"

"Hm?"

"My Innocence. Was it strong?"

"Y-yes it was! It was a very strong anti-akuma weapon, Walker!"

Allen grinned, "That's good!"

Sin blinked a couple of times, finding Allen's expression oddly like a smiling statue.

The phone began to ring, and someone shouted to inform Bak that the line to HQ had been restored.

"Okay! See you later, Walker, Sin!" Bak went over to pick up the phone, but stopped when Allen called his name.

"No matter what Komui may say, I will be boarding that Ark."

 _The Ark…the Noah's Ark, which I somehow know. How did I?_ Sin's thoughts confused even herself. _Is this what they call psychic or whatever?_

 _No, I don't think it's that._

As Allen left the room, Sin followed him. They walked side by side at a relaxed pace, enjoying each other's company.

"Allen," Sin started, staring straight ahead.

"Yes?" He glanced over at her.

"You…" Sin hesitated, looking to the side. She tried again, "Do you happen to…"

"Happen to…?" Allen tried to push her along, but all he got was silence.

"That akuma…was sent by a Noah, right?" She said after a moment.

"Yeah. They came here through the Ark."

"…that Noah…" Sin felt her mouth go dry.

"The Noah? You mean Tyki Mikk?" Allen saw her expression change once he said that name. A miniscule change, but something that he did indeed notice.

 _Sin?_ Allen raised a brow.

 _So I didn't hear wrong._ Sin pressed her lips together into a thin line, _no, I shouldn't judge this by names. It might be a different person._

 _But...the chances of it being somebody else is really low...the chances…the chances of…_

"Sin?" Allen called.

Sin had stopped in her steps and was staring straight ahead, her blue eyes wide. Her hands had unconsciously clenched into fists.

"Ah." She snapped out of her state, "Sorry, I was just thinking." She tittered lightly, but she dreaded thinking about those chances.

Allen fell silent, finding that something was amiss. He waited for her to catch up before continuing to walk again. She seemed normal, but it didn't sound like she was in her normal peace of mind.

 _Does Sin know Tyki?_ Allen thought of the possibility, but he couldn't seem to find any. He couldn't match them in any way. _No, I don't think that's possible? It doesn't seem like she'd know him…_

Allen snuck a glance at her, seeing the girl looked troubled.

 _Am I wrong?_

* * *

" _ **Sin, you'll board the Ark with Allen**_." Komui spoke through the phone.

Sin stared at Bak even though she wasn't talking to him, with wide blue eyes, quite shocked. "I'm going on the Ark with Allen?!"

" _ **Yes**_."

"Weren't you and Bak both completely opposed with me fighting any akuma at all?! Or entering the battlefield?! If the Earl's in Edo, and we get to Edo to fight with the other exorcists, wouldn't that mean that there'll be lots of high levelled akuma there?!" Sin's thoughts came out quickly.

Bak sweat dropped. "We mutually agreed that we'd let you go with Allen, since he'll be there, along with the other active exorcists."

"Wouldn't I just be a nuisance?" Sin raised a brow. "I'm an exorcist too, that means I can fight, even if it's just level 2's."

Komui and Bak both fell silent, knowing that that wasn't really the case.

Komui spoke, " _ **Sin, you're an exorcist**_."

"Yes…?" She wasn't too sure as to how to answer to a statement like that.

" _ **That means you exorcise akuma**_."

"Yes…"

" _ **That's why I'm sending you. It's to help with the Holy war.**_ " Komui ended.

 _If sending me out to help with a Holy war will help, then why didn't you send me out to help defeat that level 3 akuma? Though, it did get resolved well in the end,_ Sin thought with a nonchalant look.

"…alright. But, Komui…" Sin had dropped the honorific for the Chief as well. She had done that with both the Branch head's, the more she got familiar with them.

" _ **Yes?**_ "

"Tell me everything when this is over." Sin requested outright.

Komui brows jumped as he stared at the phone.

 _I see…so she pieced it together and knows that we're the ones that know something? It was already obvious that we weren't telling her something. But it seems that she wants to know more. Making a statement like that; it makes me sound like the villain here,_ Komui pressed the phone back to his ear.

" _ **I will**_."

Sin handed the phone back to Bak. She stood up from her seat and headed over to where Allen was. They were where the Ark door stood, with its bright light and geometric look. They were there, about to proceed on a mission to Edo.

The same butterfly that Sin had seen around the akuma was there, too.

 _What a strange pattern for a butterfly…_ Sin could see spades on its two big wings. It was different to the ones that she'd normally see in the garden.

"I overheard that you were coming along with me." Allen turned to the slightly shorter female and sent a smile her way.

"Apparently so." Sin glanced at Allen before staring up at the Ark, finding it all too familiar for her.

 _Why do I feel like this?_ Sin questioned. _I have never been inside of that thing before._

Allen saw her calmness as being nervous. He tried to console her, "We'll be fine, Sin. Don't worry."

Sin turned to Allen with surprise. She wasn't at all nervous currently, but she had heard his concerns. She smiled gently, "Yeah."

Sin was well aware that Allen was a kind person. She even noticed how he reacted when she had confirmed that it was Tyki's name that the akuma spoke, and noticed the worry that wasn't shown on the surface.

 _Thanks for worrying about me, Allen._

"Walker! Sin! Come over here for a second!" Bak called. The two looked over their shoulders, but Bak had come up right behind them, handing them each an earring, which was a long and weird rectangular shape. "Put this on your ear."

"What is it?" Allen asked, putting it on.

"A radio transmitter I'm in the middle of developing. I think it'll work fine…" Bak forgot to mention that even though he had changed the deadline dates, it was still a work in progress. "The traditional golems aren't strong enough to withstand the Ark."

Sin stared at it, seeing her slight reflection. She felt her ear to take out one of her earrings to replace it, but it wasn't there.

 _My earring's gone?!_ Sin's eyes widened and she glanced around her feet, eyes darting around to see if there was any blue jewelled earring on the ground. There was none.

 _When did I lose it…?_ She thought back, but couldn't remember when. She started to panic a little bit; those earrings were the last mementos of her late grandparents. They were precious to her.

"What's the matter?" Bak asked.

 _I'll just keep an eye out for them. Good thing it was only one of them._

Sin shook her head, stopping her search. "It's nothing." She put on the earring, and when she did, she heard Komui's voice. Allen had the same startled reaction as her.

" _ **Can you hear me, Allen, Sin**_?"

"Komui?!" Sin and Allen exclaimed simultaneously.

"What's wrong?" The white haired boy asked.

" _ **Hm? Oh, nothing. I'm supposed to be putting the brakes on you**_."

"Eh?"

" _ **We haven't confirmed that the thing you have there is really the 'Noah's Ark'. I'll acknowledge it as a machine that can transport someone through space, but because there're still many things unknown about it, it's possible it can be a trap. That's why, we'll enter the Ark together through you two. If we decide it's too dangerous, I want you two to pull back right away."**_

… _but this is the real Noah's Ark…?_ Sin thought with a slight raise of the brow. _If I tell them that,_ her eyes flickered to Bak and Allen, _they wouldn't believe me, would they? Even if I do know about it wouldn't it be disadvantageous if I told them about this? That would mean that I might be considered in league with the Noah..._

"No! I don't want to pull back!" Allen protested.

Sin stayed silent, just listening in.

Komui laughed, " _ **Ah, the way you declare such irresponsible things hasn't changed a bit! But, keep in mind that you, and Sin, are both important comrades of ours. We can't help but want to protect you two.**_ " He paused for a moment, " _ **Or could it be that you don't think of us as your comrades?**_ "

"That's—!" Allen fumbled with his words, then gave up, "Okay, understood!"

The Chief laughed, " _ **And Sin**_?"

"I understand."

Allen and Sin got ready to board the Ark. Allen let Sin go through first, but she stopped when her leg was half in, by Roufa's voice.

"Roufa? Why are you so out of breath?" Allen asked, turning around. Sin looked over her shoulder, seeing the small scientist girl panting heavily. Rikei and Shifu were doing the same behind her. She sweat dropped.

Roufa handed a deck of cards to Allen, "Your cards! It was missing a spade, so we…made a new one for you!"

Allen stared at it with sparkly eyes, then grinned, "Thank you!"

"Take care!" Roufa blushed, holding her hands in fists.

Rikei gave them a thumbs up, "See you soon, Walker, Sin!"

Sin smiled warmly at the science trio, waving her hand once before stepping in.

As she did, she heard Allen's steps behind her, and Bak's voice.

"Make sure to come back safely!"

* * *

 _White…_

" _ **Can you hear me, Allen, Sin? Were you able to get inside the Ark?**_ " Komui's voice sounded through the transmitter.

Sin opened her eyes, only to see what she had imagined. It was like the Mediterranean, with the beautiful white walls and stairs that could lead anywhere.

 _How did I know it was going to be white?_ She questioned herself. She glanced over at Allen, seeing him stare at the place in awe, after being shocked.

" _ **What's wrong?**_ " Komui asked.

"It's…very different from what I expected." Allen took a few steps forward to Sin, who he found to be completely calm like before.

"It's like the Mediterranean buildings. It's quite beautiful in here." Sin added.

" _ **How are you two feeling?**_ "

"We're fine, I'll start walking now." Allen glanced up to where the butterfly was. Sin did the same.

"Is that butterfly going to lead us, Allen?" Sin asked, staring at it flapping its wings.

Allen nodded, "Yeah."

" _ **Be careful! Don't get lost**_!" Komui screeched from the other side.

Sin laughed, "We'll be fine, Komui."

" _ **That's easy for you to say when you can memorise things in a flash!**_ " Komui retorted.

Sin sweat dropped. He sounded like a child whining to his mother. He was probably referring to her remembering the way around the Asia Branch after one time.

"Komui." Allen spoke calmly.

" _ **Hm?**_ "

"I wonder if everyone's okay…"

"Ah, that's right…they're fighting, in Edo, aren't they?" Sin reminded herself. She had heard some of the news from Bak, but mainly deduced from their course of action.

Komui was silent for a long moment, before speaking, " _ **During times of anxiety, it's best to think of fun things.**_ "

"Fun things?" Allen scratched his cheek lightly.

 _That's true…whenever I'm down I think of fun things, too._ An image of her travelling family popped into her head. They were all smiling, but their smiles only made her feel sadder, but happy at the same time.

 _Maybe not always._

" _ **You can't think of any? I sure can. For example, when everyone comes back, I'll be the first to say 'welcome home' and give you guys pats on the shoulders, while Lenalee gets a great big hug! I'll give you lots of good food to eat, Allen; Sin, you might want lots of delicious food and books to read, so I'll readily hand them to you!**_ "

Sin opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it, smiling painfully. It was then that she felt the weight of the situation. She was going straight to the Millennium Earl, where she would be fighting the Noah and the akuma that have accumulated, alongside her comrades.

 _Allen is probably more nervous than I am,_ Sin glimpsed at Allen. He looked normal on the outside, but she could tell, that he was nervous.

 _I'm a little nervous, too,_ Sin stared up at the sky, which was the same blue that she always saw. _But at the same time, I don't feel nervous at all._

" _ **Lavi would probably nod off the minute he comes back, so I'll need to have a blanket at hand…the adults will toast each other with wine…throw a huge party, and then we'll all fall sleep…it'll be the best. And then, though a little late, Kanda will come in with that sour look on his face.**_ "

Sin laughed, but it was empty. She felt a wave of conflicting emotions within her; one of indifference, and one that was washed with sadness, unease and worry.

 _ **Ah, this Ark stirs up memories.**_

Sin's eyes widened at the voice she heard. She knew that voice – it was one that she had heard multiple times, and even more so after she had joined the Order.

Sin didn't question the voice, but rather, had a quick conclusion that didn't even involve deep thinking.

 _Is it because of you that I don't feel nervous?_

 _ **Me? Probably.**_

That confirmed Sin's thoughts. Those conflicting emotions within her, are of her own, and the one that spoke in her head.

She still wasn't used to talking to this weird voice in her head, but she had come to accept that it was harder to get rid of it than talk to it.

 _How are you able to feel that, when you're just a voice?_ That's what confused the Asian woman the most.

 _ **How? That's a good question, coming from you. I'll tell you. I'm "you". Well, not really, but right now, that would be the closest thing.**_

 _So I really am a bunch of nerves right now, and you're just the one that's keeping that in check?_

 _ **Kind of.**_

After that, Sin wasn't able to hear that voice anymore. _So that must mean I'm really nervous, just as much as Allen, no doubt. And…_

Tyki's face popped up in her mind, then the person she had met the night she went to see Anita, the one she had shared her food with.

 _That person…_

"Sin?" Allen waved a hand in front of Sin's face, seeing her out of it. "You're blanking out again."

"Ah!" Sin blinked a couple of times, "Sorry, were you saying something?"

"No, not really. But you seem like you're thinking about something." Allen took her hand and led her up the steps, like the gentleman he was.

"…I guess so. Even though I may not look it, I am quite nervous, actually." Sin admitted, holding Allen's hand tighter. She looked up at him with a strained smile.

There was a lot that she was worrying about, and kicking up first place on that list was getting out of Edo alive.

However, she sincerely hoped that it wouldn't come to this. One thing she didn't want more than dying.

And that, was to fight her dear friend.


	12. Chapter 11

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #11

* * *

"Ah, I see an exorcist." Tyki placed a straight palm above his eyes, seeing into the distance. "He's still in one piece."

After the Earl had levelled Edo, the Noah were on standby as the exorcists were down.

Kanda stabbed his Innocence in the ground, cursing the Noah with foul words. He panted heavily, "I won't fall so easily…!"

"This is bad…the sounds of Cross's squad's heartbeats are weaker…than ours…they're barely alive…!" Noise Marie, another exorcist on the same squad as Kanda, shakily pushed himself off the ground.

 _ **Lavi…**_

Lavi lifted himself off the ground, looking up. He saw a crystalline structure, with 8 floating long bits around the top. "Again?!" He mumbled to himself.

"Hey! What is that…?!" Kanda whipped around to see the crystal.

 _ **Kanda…Lavi…everyone…everyone…everyone…!**_

It was Lenalee's voice. Her hand pushed against the inside of the crystal, trying to get out, but to no avail.

"That Innocence is a strong one?" The Millennium Earl observed the crystal, interest perking.

"Is that Lenalee Lee's voice?! I've never heard…such a sound before!" Marie placed a hand on his headphones.

" _ **Marie! We're in danger! The Earl's spotted Lenalee!"**_ Tiedoll, a General, spoke to Marie through his acute sense of hearing.

"KANDA, LOOK OUT!" Marie shouted.

Kanda reacted almost immediately, blocking a strike from Tyki, who smirked.

"We'll be taking her."

The Mugen user clicked his tongue and growled, striking the Noah.

Tiedoll used his Innocence to create large humanoid beings that would strike down the larger akuma, while Lavi and Skinn Boric engaged in fight.

During that time, the Earl had gone to Lenalee, using concentrated balls of power to throw at the crystal structure containing her.

It was then that the door of the Noah's Ark rose in front of their eyes, capturing the attention of all.

"The sky split open?!" Lavi gasped.

"Good evening. So we meet again, Allen Walker!" The Earl's arm was grasped by Allen's Innocence, stopping his attack on Lenalee.

Sin hopped out of the Ark, and her eyes widened when she saw what she deduced as Edo. There was smoke everywhere from the fighting, and those who were down, were down. She saw that Allen and the Earl were fighting, but it ended quickly, with the Earl disappearing.

Sin headed over to where she could see Lavi, as she couldn't see any other exorcist. "Lavi!" She called. She kept looking around, trying to find Lenalee.

"Sin?!" Lavi exclaimed, green eyes wide. He didn't expect her to come out of the Ark, either.

"Lavi!?" Allen jumped down, landing perfectly with his Innocence enveloping him. He looked at Lavi in surprise, "Did you see the Earl come here—"

"WAIT UP, DAMMIT!"

"Kanda?!" Since Allen was next to Sin, when he got struck by Kanda, he got pushed into her, but tried not to hurt her, pushing against Mugen.

"What's the meaning of this…?!" Kanda seethed.

The loud sound of screeching metal filled their ears as their weapons clashed.

"That's what I should be asking you!" Allen glared at the beautiful exorcist.

Sin moved away from the two, closer to Lavi so that she didn't get in between their quarrels. She wasn't hurt in any way but hearing Kanda's voice again made her want to run away, even though it was reassuring since he was so strong.

"I was chasing the curly haired Noah! Hey, Lavi, did you see him?!" Kanda turned to the red head.

"Huh?" He rubbed the back of his head, "Oh yeah, that old macho guy I fought…wait, what's going on? The Noah aren't anywhere to be seen…"

Hearing that was reassuring for Sin. That meant that she didn't need to deal with what she didn't want to deal with, but she realised that that was only running away from her problems.

 _I'm such a coward,_ she berated herself.

Kanda and Allen began to bicker, threatening to chop off their hair in the process.

When Lavi had tried to intervene, he was shut down epically, with both of them telling him that they'd shave him bald, too.

Sin cracked a small smile, seeing such a familiar scene before her. She let out a long sigh, one that she didn't know she had been building. Her shoulders felt stiff.

 _That's no good…_

She glanced around, trying to find Lenalee. It was then that she saw her on the ground, a strange smoke around her, with green crystals melting away. She hurried over and called her friend's name, worry filling her inside.

"Lenalee?! Lenalee!" Sin shouted, kneeling down. She pulled her friend up, and was thankful that Lenalee was fine. She did notice two huge differences, though. "Lenalee?! Your hair!" It was incredibly short now, shorter than how Sin used to have it, when they first met. The second difference was her legs; they were all bandaged up, like something happened to them.

"Sin…" Lenalee spoke quietly, her purple eyes opening. She felt happy to see her friend.

"Lena…! Are you alright?" Sin felt relief flood through her as her knees hit the ground. She placed Lenalee's head on her lap. "I'm so glad you're fine…"

"What about you, Sin?" Lena asked, raising a hand to hold her hand. "I was so worried about you…!"

Sin pulled a smile, but she could feel it faltering as a sob shook through her body. She didn't realise how much she missed Lenalee and her friends, nor how much this situation was dire. Even more so than before, she felt the pressure.

No tears came from her eyes, just sobs that shook her body. She hugged Lenalee tightly. Seeing her in this weakened state only made her want to protect her.

 _That's right. I'm only an exorcist to protect my friends. To protect the people I travelled with—my family, and now, the new friends that I gained when I entered the Order._

However, her thoughts stopped when she came to realise that one of them might not even be a valid reason anymore.

 _Please, don't let it be Tyki._

* * *

Tyki let out a long exhale as he and Skinn Boric were dragged in the Ark by the Earl.

"It was getting fun, why'd you pull us out, Earl?" Tyki almost sounded like he was sulking. "That exorcist girl could have been the Heart, too."

"So heavy…my, you two sure have grown." The Earl ignored them and continued dragging.

"Are you listening? Hey."

"4 more hours until the download's finished, Tyki." Road popped her head out from the window and stared down at the three. Tyki looked up.

"Oh my, keep up the good work, Road!" The Earl praised.

"You gonna let them go?" Tyki asked the Earl.

"Of course not."

"Thought so."

"Your 'job' has come back as well." The Earl informed.

Tyki stopped, his golden eyes going wide. He inclined to look up at the Earl, "Seriously?! He's alive?! With his left arm?!"

"Alive and kicking. He made a splendid interference of himself."

 _Oh, man!_ Tyki averted his eyes, knowing what this meant.

Road jumped onto the back of the Millennium Earl, asking what they were talking about.

"Tyki-pon's worthlessness."

Road let out a long 'oh?' before noticing something strange. She slid down to Tyki, her back bending as her dress flipped over. She took a whiff of her uncle. "Tyki, did you change cigarette brands?"

"What's with the sudden topic change? No, I haven't." Tyki looked up.

"Oh, really…" Road glanced off to the side, looking at the area between two walls. She stared at that for a long moment before looking back at Tyki, addressing the other thing. She stared at his ear with the different earring, "A new earring?"

Tyki held a dead panned expression on his face. _Not this again. First the twins and now Road?_ He wanted to sigh, but he knew that since it was in plain sight, people would ask about it.

"It's not mine." He said.

"I figured," Road took a closer look at the earring, seeing it shine when the light hit it. She tilted her head slightly, then her eyes widened, "Tyki, where did you get this?"

"Huh?" He raised a brow, "Someone dropped it, why?"

"These aren't something that someone would just drop, you know." Road looked at the earring again.

"But someone did…" Tyki wasn't going to tell who. "Why?"

"These are blue diamonds, Tyki! One of the rarest diamonds that you can ever find! With one that looks like this, it'd be worth at a million or more for each one!" Road could see the clarity and colour depth of it.

Tyki nearly choked on air. He blinked a few times, eyes wide, at Road. "Are you serious?!"

"Duh!" Road pouted, "I can't believe someone dropped something so valuable!" She sighed, "But earrings come in pairs so that person probably has the other one."

Tyki opened his mouth in astonishment, completely astounded.

 _That would mean that just those earrings alone would go over 2 million…_ He exhaled smoke, _how the hell did Sin get her hands on something like this?!_

He then remembered that she had mentioned her grandparents gave her the earrings, prompting him to raise his brow, _what kind of grandparents give their grandchild something so damn expensive?_

* * *

Sin heard everything that had happened to her comrades. She was shocked at what had happened, as she only knew very little, and only what Bak told her, as well as what she had eavesdropped, back at the Asia branch.

 _I don't think I should tell them that Allen's heart got pierced…_ Sin had eavesdropped that when passing by and hearing Bak and Komui talk. It was by complete coincidence that she heard it, and when she asked Allen about it, he requested her not tell anyone.

 _So akuma can be modified, and Cross is the only one able to do so…_ Sin thought for a moment, wondering who that red haired man was. _He seems to be able to do everything, from evading the Order to modifying the dark side._

 _The others got the same warning as I did,_ Sin was listening to Tiedoll talk. He was talking about Cross and why he doesn't like to help him, as well as what he had come across, detailing his journey of events. Some others also pitched in to fill in holes.

"Currently, the only exorcists in this world are Hevlaska, Socalo, Cloud, Marian, and the 10 of us here," Tiedoll spoke.

 _That means there are only 14 exorcists in the whole world._ The numbers were so low compared to the amount of Innocence there were, making Sin almost wonder how they were going to win a war.

"I don't think this is the time for us to fight the Millennium Earl, rather, I believe it's your duty as disciples to survive until that time really comes. Perhaps Cross's squad should be promptly withdrawn from the battlefield." The General spoke.

Sin saw movement in the corner of her eye. She went over to where Lenalee rested, seeing her open her eyes. She had fallen unconscious after telling Sin that she was worried about her.

Allen and Lenalee started talking, about the one that Sin learnt as 'Suman', the one who had betrayed the Order and become a Fallen One. The one that Allen tried to save, but then ended up needing saving himself.

Allen ended up with tears at Lenalee's heart-warming words, which were a refreshing view for those watching on.

 _ **Oi, watch out.**_

In accordance with those words, Sin heard a light cackle, like electricity, where Lenalee was. She grabbed her hand immediately, seeing something glow from under her friend, alerting the woman. Almost as soon as she did, she fell into it, following the other exorcist down.

"LENALEE?! SIN?!"

* * *

A star shaped portal opened up in the sky of the Ark, letting the exorcists fall out.

"Lenalee!" Sin shouted, tightening her grip around Lena's hand. She pulled her friend closer to her mid-air, covering her so that she wouldn't get hurt.

"Argh!" She hit the ground, and following her was Allen, Lavi, Chaoji, Kanda, then Krory. They stacked on top of each other, but Allen was able to somehow lift himself up so that he didn't crush the two girls.

They got off each other and rubbed their heads and body, easing any sore areas.

"What is this place?" Kanda glanced around, finding white buildings.

"We're…inside the Ark!" Allen realised.

Sin got up, but checked if Lenalee was alright first. Her side was a big sore from the landing, but she was able to protect her younger friend, so all was good.

"Are you alright?" Sin asked, propping Lenalee up. She nodded, getting up.

"Thank you."

"There's a weird pumpkin under Lenalee!" Lavi exclaimed, aiding Lena when she stood.

"Hm?" Sin stood up, seeing the flattened pumpkin where she and Lenalee were. "A pumpkin?" She looked at it was a strange expression.

 _Is that an umbrella?_

"MOVE, LERO! GET OFF ME YOU FAT EXORCISTS, PEH!" The pumpkin screamed.

Sin stared at it with an interested look, finding that a talking pumpkin was quite strange. It was kind of like Timcanpy, but not really.

 _What its saying is quite rude, though…_ she thought with a sweat drop.

In a split second, Kanda and Allen had their Innocences at its throat, eyes gleaming with intent. "It's you…"

The pumpkin screamed.

"If you don't want to be sliced to bits, let us out, damn it." Kanda growled.

"Where's the exit?" Allen demanded.

"There is no exit, Lero." The pumpkin sweated.

 _Am I imagining things or does this pumpkin actually sweat?_ Sin looked at it in confusion.

" **This ship has just completed the role it's held for many years and has been put to a stop. Nice job, Lero. Now, it's time departure, young exorcists**." The pumpkin's mouth opened wide and a large balloon of the Millennium Earl came out, " **Both you and this ship will go on a one-way voyage to hell!** " It was speaking in a different voice than what they heard previously.

As if on cue, the area around them began to crumble, parts of the white buildings falling over.

Sin dodged a large piece of rubble that had nearly hit her on the side, yelping as she did so. She breathed a sigh of relief when it missed.

" **Be careful. The places that have been downloaded have begun to collapse.** "

"What do you mean…?" Sin scanned the area, finding that nearly every building was starting to fall around them.

" **This ship will shortly be sucked in between dimensions and disappear. There is 3 more hours. That is all the time you have left in this world."**

Sin's blue eyes widened. _Three more hours?!_

" **Cute little lady, you have good friends. So many of them have come for you. All of them will be going with you, so there's no need to feel lonely."**

"You fiend…!" Lenalee clenched her jaw.

" **Don't worry…I won't let anyone suffer painful emotions. I'll even stop the tears of those you've left behind in this world**."

As the balloon of the Earl flew off into the sky, the exorcists made an escape for it. Allen and Sin looked everywhere, having been on the Ark that transported them to areas that were miles apart.

"There should be a door somewhere that connects to the outside! That's how we got out!" Allen burst through a wall, looking around.

"Impossible, Lero." The pumpkin umbrella could fly, which was surprising, but its comments weren't.

"I've busted through so many already!" Lavi panted, holding his hammer.

"The ship has stopped, Lero! Like I've been saying, it's not connected to other dimensions anymore, Lero!" The umbrella tried to talk sense. "There's seriously no—" Before it could even continue, the males of the group sent a flying kick or punch its way, shutting it up.

"LOOK OUT!" Lenalee shouted, grabbing hold of Krory.

Sin saw the ground crack beneath them, and soon, all of them were stumbling, about to fall. "Ah!" She somehow managed to keep balanced, which she was thankful for due to her years of training as a dancer.

"There's none, Lero…I'm telling the truth!" The umbrella spoke again. "You can't get out of this ship!"

 _That umbrella mentioned something about 'downloading', before didn't it?_ Sin scanned the area, seeing if anything was going to fall around them, _if that's so, that would mean that it's getting transferred, is it not? Meaning right now, it's an impossible task to get out, if that's the logic behind this Ark._

"You're all going to die here, Lero!"

"There is an exit. If it's just an exit you want, there is one."

Sin froze, blue eyes wide. Her breathing had hitched, fearing the worst.

She knew this voice. She knew it very, very well.

Her eyes looked up to see a man with medium length dark wavy hair, wearing a white shirt and dress pants. He had a cigarette between his lips, and wore glasses that had a weird design.

Sin inhaled sharply, her heart beating faster.

 _No…_

"There is an exit, boy." That man held a key, showing it to Allen. He was crouching in front of him.

 _No…_

Allen stared at him with wide eyes, and nearly after a whole moment, Krory, Allen and Lavi were pointing at him, an alarmed look on their faces, like they had found something.

"FOUR EYES!" They shouted.

"Eh, is that my name?" The man with glasses asked lightly with a sweat drop.

"W-W-WHY?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"Hey." Kanda spoke up from beside Sin, who stared at him with wide eyes, too. She tried to avert her eyes from looking at the glasses wearing man, but she knew, he had seen her already. "That guy's radiating blood thirst."

 _Please don't recognise me…_

With a smirk, the man took his cigarette from his lips and placed his hand on Allen's head, "Why are you still…" He was smiling, but the next moment, he clenched his jaw and hit his head on Allen's, causing the exorcist to groan in pain, holding his head. "Alive?!"

The steam from the impact could be vaguely seen, and the anger that seemed to come from the man. "Because of you, I had to put up with everything the Earl and those midgets said to me…"

"What are you talking…?" Allen turned to look back at the man, but when he did, their skin had turned umber, their eyes gold and the glasses fell right through him.

Sin stared at that person. Her mouth opened in utmost shock. It was the person she had shared her food with, back in China! She gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth.

 _No…that was…Tyki?_ Her throat felt parched, like she hadn't been drinking water for days.

"You want an exit, right? I can give you one." He pulled back his hair and showed them the stigmata across his forehead. He threw the key up into the air and caught it, "This ship doesn't have its own exits anymore, but another can be made through Road's ability." A heart shaped door reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland came up from the ground behind Tyki.

"Road is the only Noah who can travel dimensions without using the Ark. So how about it? Let's continue our match from the train with the wager of our lives." Tyki's expression went dark, "No cheating this time, boy."

"What is the meaning of this, Tyki?! The Earl will never…!" The umbrella protested.

"This is the key that can open Road's door and three others that lead to it. You can have it." The key slipped through Tyki's fingers, almost like he was transparent. "Think about it, you don't have the free time to waste grumbling."

 _That went right through his hand…!_ Sin let her arm drop to her side.

Tyki's golden coloured eyes took a look at the one exorcist he didn't see when he was in Edo. He saw them looking away, but when they quickly glanced over his way, he knew straight away, who it was. The smirk wiped off his face as his eyes enlarged.

The top of a white building broke up, falling on the area that Tyki was in. Of course, he wasn't hurt, but it alarmed the group of exorcists, especially Sin, about him.

Kanda saw a glint, and with his reflexes, he caught the key.

"Hunting exorcists…is pretty fun." They could still hear his voice, "I'll place the door on the top of the tallest building. If you get the door before it crumbles, then you win."

Tyki regained his composure and walked out of the building, though it bothered him quite a bit.

"I heard that Noah were immortal. How is that fair?" Allen posed a serious question.

Once he heard Allen's words, he laughed out loud, finding it absolutely ridiculous. He stopped himself, "Whoops, sorry about that. I don't know how those rumours happened, but we are still mortal, boy. We only seem immortal, because you guys are weak!"

Sin couldn't hear Tyki's voice anymore. She placed a hand over her mouth as she stared at the ground, somewhat unaware that it was about to crumble beneath them.

"Oi, Pipsqueak!" Kanda grabbed Sin by the arm, seeing that she was preoccupied, and threw her over his shoulder, jumping to a safer place.

Allen caught Lenalee as she fell, getting them to a safer place where the ground was flat and hadn't crumbled yet.

Kanda dropped Sin onto the ground, but she didn't make a noise at all.

"Huh?" Kanda glanced down and saw that Sin was crying.

"Kanda!" Allen and Lavi gasped, seeing the situation, "That was rough! Apologize!"

The Mugen user stared at them as if they were crazy, then back at Sin, who just continued to let tears fall from her eyes without a sound.

"Oi, Pipsqueak…"

They didn't hear a word from her as she stood up. She tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, but they just kept coming like an endless stream.

"Oi, Kanda! Apologize! That must have really hurt her!" Allen frowned.

"Cut it out! That fall wouldn't have hurt her!" Kanda retorted. They exchanged glares at each other, with Lavi trying to calm them down.

Lenalee moved over so that she was closer to Sin, "Sin, what's wrong?" She asked gently.

Sin looked at Lenalee, but the look of worry on her face made Sin sadder, feeling herself falter.

"I…I…" She felt a lump form in her throat. The words didn't want to come out. But, she still tried, "Ty…ki…"

"Tyki?" Allen asked, thinking that was what she said.

The others immediately looked back at her, wondering how Tyki was related to this.

Sin nodded, confirming his suspicions. "He's a Noah…that we're fighting, isn't he?" She managed to say. The tears had temporarily stopped, and her eyes and the surrounding area were red.

Lavi was silent. He had his own thoughts to himself, but he didn't know for certain.

Allen nodded.

Sin smiled bitterly, staring at the ground with a pained face, "…heh, so that's it, then."

It now made sense to her.

When she was travelling with them as part of their little group, Tyki had often gone on other jobs that were a secret to them, but still come back after a little while. She never found out what those jobs were, but now that she's uncovered that he was a Noah, she knew, that those jobs involved some form of slaughter and fighting.

Her mind re-winded back to when she was in China, talking to the gentlemen that she had given food to. She had nearly mistakenly called him 'Tyki', but now, she discerned that even if she had called him that, it was the truth. The unmistakeable truth. She recalled their conversation, one that she had talked about her friends that she missed, not knowing that at that time, one of them was beside her the whole time.

"What an idiot I am…" Sin clenched her hands into fists and the tears fell again.

He was a Noah—one that ordered akuma to kill people, and sprout more akuma. One that killed and hunted exorcists and did errands for the Earl.

When Sin had become an exorcist, her main objective was to destroy akuma and protect her friends from ever getting hurt from something like that. However, that aim had come crumbling down with the knowledge of her dear friend's identity.

Having been travelling together for some time, Sin had noticed that there were no akuma that ever came near them at all—it was because Tyki had protected them, with his power to control the akuma.

 _What a dumb idiot I am…_

"What am I supposed to do now…?" Sin closed her eyes. "The one reason that I became an exorcist…is gone. What am I supposed to do now?!" She cried.

The others stared at her with confusion, wondering what she was talking about.

Allen had an idea of what Sin's situation was. He knew that Tyki had human friends, and that he was an orphan vagabond with sticky fingers, as well as a Noah. That was undeniably a fact. He also had heard from Lenalee that Sin had been travelling with her friends for a while before joining the Order.

 _Could it be?_ Allen was sure, but he wanted confirmation, _this explains how she knew about Tyki. I thought it was a different 'travelling', but I might be wrong._

"Okay, let's cut the chatter here and find a way out of this place!" Allen clapped his hands together to signify everyone to listen to him.

 _A Noah, and an exorcist—_

"We'll use this to open one of the doors, since Lenalee and I are familiar with how they work." Allen went over to a door and put the key in. The door exploded with colour and patterns, showcasing that it was a changed door after the key was used.

"Let's go."

— _each one, enemies of each other._

* * *

Tyki flicked the silver button he got off Allen's uniform, hitting it into the air. He caught it, then did it again. He was staring into space in a safe room, waiting for the exorcists to get into the main tower.

He had many thoughts, but didn't want to think of it. The blue eyes he saw not too long ago shocked him. "The Earl is so quiet. Is he angry?"

Road, who was with him, stared out the window, "He's not. He just doesn't want us to be in danger. After all, we're the precious lambs that he offers up to God…but I know it can't be helped, it's the nature of us Noah…"

Tyki stared at the button in his hand with a daunting expression.

"But Tyki," Road paused, "You are…"

Tyki closed his eyes, blocking out his niece's words. He could hear them perfectly well, but he didn't feel like talking. His mind was preoccupied with something else.

Road tilted her head slightly when she slid back into her seat, her feet going up. She watched Tyki as he seemed troubled.

"What's wrong, Tyki?" She asked quietly.

Tyki didn't respond to her, trying to sort his own thoughts instead.

 _So that's where she went when she said she had a job to go to…_ Tyki closed his hand around the button, _so she's an exorcist now…_

The thought of her being an exorcist bothered him. It was getting increasingly difficult to be able to think of her now—because it pained him so. The more he talked to her, the more he knew about her, the more he thought of her, the more he grew fond of her; it seemed to drop its weight on his shoulders with a devastating blow.

 _That must be my human side talking…_ He exhaled slowly.

He leaned his head back, staring up at the ceiling. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and placed it in the ash tray.

 _She must have realised it by now…back in China,_ Tyki unconsciously went to touch her earring, _that it was me._

"Tyki, you're thinking about that exorcist girl, aren't you?" Road was hugging her knees, but she had a knowing look.

"The exorcist girl?" Tyki repeated, snapping out of his thoughts. He needed a distraction. "There're two, aren't there?"

"Not Lenalee…I meant the other one, the one that had come later." Road elaborated. Tyki fell silent. Road continued, "I actually saw her fighting akuma once," She paused, watching Tyki's reaction, "But I didn't recognise her back then."

Tyki could feel her gaze poking into him, making him almost uncomfortable.

"That girl's one of your human friends, isn't she?" Road didn't see Tyki deny it, so she assumed so. She recalled, "I thought that that person was a cute little boy, actually. He—she, looked like someone I had seen, a long time ago. I don't remember."

"Hm?" The Noah of Pleasure glanced at Road, wondering what she was going to say.

"She looks like someone I've seen, a long time ago, before I saw them travelling with you." Road commented, trying to recall the memory. She couldn't remember. She jumped to a different topic, "That girl, Sin, was it? How did you not find out she was a girl even after spending nearly five whole years travelling with her?" This one question had bothered Road the whole time.

Tyki stared at her with a helpless expression. "She was wearing baggy clothes the whole time! How could I have known?"

"Well, you all slept together, right?" Road bluntly asked.

Tyki made a funny expression, "What?!"

Road elaborated, finding Tyki's reactions funny, "You all slept in the same rooms, right? Couldn't you have noticed that she was?"

"What are you getting at?" Tyki was sceptical of Road's questions.

Road pouted, "How did you not find out she was a girl?! She was _right in front_ of you!"

"How could I have known?!" Tyki protested. "And didn't you think she was a boy, too?!"

"I only saw her face! You lived with her for years!" It was almost turning out to be a battle of words. "You could have at least known from her voice!"

Tyki eye twitched; she wasn't going to give up, was she?

"Her voice is a bit on the higher end, but it's not like it was obvious!"

Road sighed lightly, "You're actually really sad that she's an exorcist, aren't you?"

Tyki didn't respond to that. He leaned on his hand against the armrest. Of course he didn't like the fact that one of his closest friends had turned out to become an exorcist, someone that he was destined to kill!

 _Is that God's way of toying with us Noah?_ Tyki thought grimly. He thought back to a long while ago, when he was with Momo, Clark, Eeez, and Sin. Those words that they spoke of, and the memory that had embedded itself, was something he treasured, that had floated to the surface again.

* * *

" _ **Hey guys…if you had a wish, just one wish, what would you wish for?" Sin asked suddenly, taste testing the dish she was making. It was early in the morning, and Sin was the one cooking this time. They had limited ingredients, so she was making some oatmeal. Tasting it, she thought it bland, but took it off the stove, adding some ground up cinnamon in it, having bought it the other day.**_

" _ **Huh? Just one? That's so little!" Tyki yawned, going along with it, coming up from behind. He took a look over her shoulder since she was shorter than him and grinned at the food, going to where Momo and Clark were. They were brushing their teeth.**_

 _ **Eeez came up to Sin, grabbing her arm, "Only one?" The sickly child asked.**_

 _ **The Chinese girl smiled warmly at the boy and rubbed his head, "Yeah. Just one."**_

" _ **Does it count if I ask for more wishes with that one wish?" Momo wiped his mouth and started packing up the sleeping area.**_

" _ **No, it doesn't." Sin laughed.**_

" _ **Oh, bummer…" The male grumbled and folded a blanket.**_

" _ **If it's only one wish…then…" Clark rubbed his chin after coming back from brushing his teeth, "I would like to be rich."**_

" _ **Hah? What kind of dream is that?" Momo raised a brow, putting the blanket into the suitcase.**_

" _ **I don't know," Clark shrugged, "That's just my greed talking. My real wish is to live peacefully."**_

" _ **That's actually a pretty noble wish." Tyki grinned, wiping his mouth. He brought a cup to the tap and filled it with water, taking a large gulp from it.**_

" _ **Shut up." Clark chuckled.**_

" _ **A wish…" Momo thought for a moment, "To hang out with you guys more." Momo placed the rest of the blankets in the suitcase, closing it. He urged Clark to help out.**_

" _ **Heh," Tyki elongated the vowel as if he were judging his friend's words. He found them amusing, but he didn't necessarily judge them to be worth nothing. "What a good spirit you have." He teased.**_

" _ **That's a nice thought." Sin smiled at Momo, knowing that he was actually a really kind guy. He didn't look it, but he was. All of them were.**_

 _ **She turned to Tyki, who stood next to her, drinking the cup of water. "What about you?"**_

" _ **Hm…" He thought for a long moment, "Maybe to eat good food?" He shrugged, not really knowing. However, in his mind, he had something else, but he wasn't about to go say it just like that. He was currently more preoccupied with wanting to eat his breakfast.**_

" _ **You're not sure?" Sin could see him eyeing the food, which she was pouring into bowls.**_

" _ **Nah, not really." Tyki placed the cup of water down and helped Sin, bringing the filled bowls to the side and placing spoons in them. "It's hard to pick out what I want most."**_

" _ **That's alright." Sin handed him the last bowl. She turned to Eeez, who was pulling on Tyki's shirt to let him help out. "And you?"**_

 _ **Eeez glanced at Sin with an innocent expression. Tyki handed him a bowl of oatmeal and got two to give to others. Sin took the rest of them and they sat at the centre of the room, giving each other their breakfasts.**_

" _ **My wish…" Eeez paused, looking up at everybody. He smiled, "Is for us to be together forever."**_

 _ **The four of them opened their mouths to say something, but then laughed and gave Eeez their compliments, grinning ear to ear.**_

"… _ **you're a sweet kid." Tyki commented.**_

" _ **Don't worry, we won't leave you behind or anything." Momo laughed.**_

" _ **Yeah, we'll stay together like we always do." Clark grinned.**_

" _ **They're right! We'll always stay together, so don't worry!" Sin smiled warmly.**_

 _ **Tyki, Momo and Clark sweat dropped. Even though he was a boy, Sin seemed to have an affect where even if he said things like that, it wouldn't be considered strange, and just normal.**_

 **Kind of like a girl…** _ **the three of them thought simultaneously. Though, as soon as they thought that, they pushed it out of their minds, as they couldn't just ask since it was rude and they had already known each other for a while.**_

 **Nah, what kind of girl would travel with a bunch of hobos like us anyway?** _ **Momo laughed to himself internally,**_ **that's not possible.**

 _ **As they ate peacefully in silence, they showered the supposed boy with compliments about his cooking. It was better than what they had been eating thus far, so it was a good addition to the team.**_

" _ **What about your wish? You were the one that asked, right?" Tyki was curious, his eyes on Sin.**_

 _ **She nodded, "Mhmm. My wish…" She paused, humming, "Hm…I guess it's to…" She couldn't exactly find the words for it immediately, pausing every so often.**_

" _ **To?" Momo and Clark said expectantly.**_

"… _ **to stay friends and make good memories together." She elaborated, "To trust each other."**_

 _ **Tyki sweat dropped, "That's more than one wish, you know…"**_

 _ **Sin tittered, "They're parts of the same wish. Isn't that what being friends mean?"**_

" _ **I guess." Tyki placed his finished bowl down, wondering if there was more. It was delicious. He stood up and went over to find that there was more, at least one more serving for each of them. He spooned some for himself before heading back to the circle.**_

 _ **Sin grinned, laughing lightly, "I think we all have similar wishes! Let's do our best to fulfil them!"**_

" _ **Aren't we already doing that?" Tyki put a mouthful, chewing it with a smile.**_

" _ **Yeah, but…!" Sin clapped a few times, "More memories and happy times!"**_

" _ **Sure, sure." Tyki chuckled.**_

 **He's like a child…** _ **Tyki continued eating, finishing his bowl before any of them finished their first one.**_

" _ **Okay, okay…" Momo and Clark laughed at Sin's enthusiasm and Tyki's reaction to it. Eeez was smiling at this interaction.**_

 _ **Once they finished with their food, Eeez and Sin washed up, since those on cooking duty will wash up too. Sin thanked the boy for helping her all the time. When they were done and packed up, they were out the door for their jobs.**_

 _ **Sin grabbed Tyki's arm, since he was so slow, and pulled him out of the door, with Eeez helping her. "Come on, let's do our best today, too!" She grinned.**_

" _ **O-oi!" Tyki nearly stumbled, but somehow regained balance, but was pulled again by two forces. "Hey! Don't drag me!" He complained. His complaints were ignored, though.**_

" _ **Hey!" Momo and Clark quickly exited the place they were staying and hurried after them, "Wait up!"**_

* * *

Tyki turned to Road, seeing her with an eager look; waiting for him to tell her stuff. He didn't say a word.

Road's lips curled slightly, before posing a serious question. "Tyki. Do you like her?"

Tyki's golden eyes widened, caught by complete surprise by Road's words. He looked at her with shock, mouth opening.

Road giggled and smiled wider, waiting his response.

"Why would you ask something like that?" Tyki didn't know which she meant. He gave her a funny look before looking away, not wanting to answer such a question.

Road giggled, "It's concerning, isn't it?"

The male Noah kept his silence. But he knew, he couldn't avoid it.

 _This is no good._


	13. Chapter 12

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #12

* * *

"Rest well, Skinn." Road held out a piece of candy, her face covered with a book. She dangled in front of her.

"Sweet tooth lost?" Tyki questioned.

"Yeah. The guy Allen and the others left behind didn't pass through my door, either."

"So they killed each other."

"Are you crying, Tyki?" Road reached over, pulling the book away from her face. Her uncle had tears in his eyes, and it had fallen down his cheeks.

He blocked her hand from getting to his face, "I can't stop them from coming out. Are the Noah inside of us crying?"

"Aha! That may be so. I guess…the Noah inside us are crying."

Suddenly the door was kicked down by the twin Noah, David and Jasdero. Their black makeup was running, having touched the tears from their eyes.

"Road! Where are the tissues?" David spoke first.

"Wow." Tyki looked at them with an expression of indifference, "Your tears are black."

"STUPID TYKI!" David snapped.

"OUR MAKEUP IS RUNNING, HEEE!" Jasdero carried a chicken with a hat.

The Noah of Pleasure raised his brow as Road got them their much needed help, giving them towels. She sat back on her seat, "Skinn was the child of Noah with the memory of 'Wrath'. Jasdevi's 'Bonds', Tyki's 'Pleasure', or my 'Dreams' are different. 'Wrath' was the most intense of the Noah's memories; I feel kind of sorry for him."

"That baldy had some violent mood swings sometimes." David pointed out, remembering when he destroyed an akuma that had given him a savoury egg.

"He was a difficult character to understand, hee!" Jasdero rubbed his face.

"We are the Noah's children too, so we have the urge to kill exorcists on sight, but…" Road paused for a brief moment, "The thought that the 'wrath' of Noah was a child that was the strongest Noah, was made to fight like a puppet…"

"Skinn was a pitiful Noah, hee!"

Leaning his head back, Tyki pondered on Road's words just now.

 _Urge to kill an exorcist on sight, huh…?_ That thought went through his head like a breath of wind. He looked at the twins, trying to distract himself.

Rubbing his nose, the male blinked the tears away as they finally started to stop. "Didn't the Earl ask you two to capture Cross?"

Silence.

"Eh, what? That guy…" David muttered with an almost animalistic like growl.

"How did the conversation get here? Should we go now?" Jasdero mumbled. The chicken on top of his head let out a squawk.

"So you failed again, right?" Tyki pointed out.

"SHUT UP! THAT'S RIGHT, SO WHAT?!" David's expression turned dark as he confronted Tyki. The chicken came up in front of him too, and began to squawk in the 26 year old's direction.

"SO WHAT IF WE'RE AFRIAD OF THE EARL?!" Jasdero roared.

"Is Cross that fast at running away? I wonder if I could catch him…" Tyki mused.

"HE'S OUR PREY!"

As the 3 Noah and 1 chicken bickered, Road found a wad of paper that had dropped from David's clothes. She went down and picked it up, flipping through it. "What's this? Bills?"

David froze, turning around slowly, "That's…"

"Hotel charges, alcohol charges, women charges…" Road let out a long elongated vowel, "Wow! What are all these?"

"That's what Cross left for Jasdevi to pay!" Jasdero crouched down beside Road, explaining the situation like the dumb idiot he was.

"Huh?"

"WHAT! YOU IDIOT, DON'T SAY IT!"

Tyki found amusement in the situation, "Not only did he escape, he stuck the bill to you too?"

"Hee! That's right! No matter where we went—"

"SHUT UP!" Cue a kick to Jasdero's head.

Road was laughing, finding the situation absolutely hilarious.

"Shit…! That bastard Cross!" David cursed angrily. How he hated Cross and his guts right now.

"Hm? This name…" Road smiled, hearing Jasdero's explanations on it, "Jasdevi, I'm going to tell you something good…"

Tyki ignored them and pressed his cheek against his palm, pondering.

 _Will Sin reach the summit?_

He silenced his thoughts for a long moment, letting out an inaudible sigh.

* * *

Allen, Lenalee, Krory, Lavi, Choaji and Sin had reached the room filled with books; the archives. It hadn't been downloaded yet, but it seemed it would be soon.

 _We left Kanda behind,_ Sin looked back at where they came, coming off from Krory's back, having grabbed onto him when escaping the hallway. _I hope Kanda's alright. He's strong, so I think he'll be okay…_

While in the archives, they met a pair of twins introducing themselves as David and Jasdero, who were one in the same Noah.

They caused havoc and talked of Cross's debts, causing Allen's dark side to appear. Soon enough, they had to find their way out of the twin's eye-tricking glasses, finding the real key to the door. Lavi was given the job of finding the real key, whilst Allen and Krory fought.

Lenalee, Sin and Choaji stood near Lero, with Sin being on lookout if Jasdevi tried to attack them. However, Lenalee moved forward to try and help when Allen and Krory were caught in what they called 'Jasdevi's Grudge', which almost resembled that of a sludge monster.

Lenalee was caught into a ball, unable to escape, while the other exorcists were able to from the sludge monster. Although Lenalee was caught, she made a huge fuss and even lectured the twins, causing them to hit her.

Sin invoked her Innocence and threw it towards the ball that Lenalee was in, successfully popping it and letting her out, just as Lavi found the key to the door, which burst open, causing the eye-tricking glasses to disappear.

The Innocence returned to Sin's hand as she went over to Lenalee, hoping she was alright. However, after the door was opened, the twins merged together into one, forming the Noah that would be called the 'Noah of Bonds'.

It was a battle between the males of the group save Choaji, and Krory had stayed behind whilst the rest of them went through the doors before they closed.

Lenalee was distraught as her friend was injured but insisted on fighting, and was even given a pep talk by the others, who told her to believe and have faith in him.

Sin wasn't too close to Krory, but she did have an ounce of worry, as he was beaten bloody prior to drinking more akuma blood.

She knew, that he could only go so far before something happens. _We're up against Noah, after all._

She checked everyone's conditions, finding that everyone's conditions were worse than hers, even Choaji.

 _That makes sense. I didn't do that much fighting compared to the others._ She only had a few scratches and bruises here and there, but nothing major. _Am I even helping out at all?_ Even though her worries weighed her down, she didn't let it show on her face, trying to be strong. She honestly didn't want to cry again.

 _There's only so much a person can take._ She smiled bitterly to herself, helping Lenalee, who saw that bitter smile.

"Sin?" Lenalee asked with slight worry.

Sin changed her smile to a warm one when Lena called her name, but didn't say a word, continuing up the stairs, which floated in a strange, different dimension.

It was an odd sight to the group, but they managed to get to the door at the top, taking turns to help Lenalee.

"We're finally here," Sin whispered to herself, but the others heard it loud and clear.

She glanced over at Chaoji, seeing him trembling in fear, even though there was a smile on his face. He was talking to Allen, but Sin had tuned them out so that she could think.

Allen invoked his Crown Clown and stepped up the last steps, going through the door. The others followed after him, and they arrived at the top of the tower.

The moment they arrived, Road was there to throw herself on Allen, giving him a kiss on the lips. Allen had the most horrified expression on his face as Lavi shook him, trying to snap him out of it.

Sin stared at her wide eyed, shocked at how forward she was, but finding it refreshing all in the same.

"Road, what are you…? Do you like the boy that much?" Tyki held a look of astonishment, sitting at the end of the long table set out with food in front of them.

"It's the first time I've seen you give a kiss to someone other than the Earl." He commented.

Road skipped happily back to where Tyki was, laughing, "I won't give Tyki one!"

Sin pressed her lips together into a thin line, seeing that her friend was indeed at the end of the table. She inhaled a sharp breath, trying to calm herself. She wasn't used to seeing Tyki in a tuxedo, or with anything proper, for that matter.

She noticed something floating next to him, which looked like a card of some sort. It kept repeating the same words, "He is alive…" referring to Allen.

"What are you doing, sit down." Tyki cut up a piece of meat, "While I was waiting for you, I got hungry, so how about dining together?" He placed the meat into his mouth, "I wanted to talk to you before fighting."

"I'll have to refuse." Allen had just finished rubbing his mouth to rid himself of Road. "I take my time to eat when I have to."

"Time? Do you want to know how much you have left?" Tyki waved the knife towards the outside terrace.

"Outside, it's a superb view." Road leaned against the table.

The exorcists quickly headed to the outside, making sure to see how much time they had left before the whole place got destroyed.

Sin held in a gasp, no words or even a sound coming from her mouth. There was literally nothing down where they were – everything was breaking away, and the only thing was the tower that they stood on.

"The city is…gone…!" Lavi managed to say.

"I don't think you even have an hour. All that's left is this tower. Apart from here, everything else has been destroyed." Tyki put another piece in his mouth.

"No way…"

The door where they came kicked shut, with Road adding an additional lock that bounded it together.

"What are you…!" Lenalee gasped.

"Sit down." Road's expression became scary when she demanded. Sin felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her face.

"Take a seat, exorcists." Tyki took a sip of wine, before taunting at them, "Or are you too scared?"

Allen slammed his left hand on the table, giving him a scary look, before obliging. The others went to sit down, with Sin sitting down last. She sat opposite Lenalee, next to Chaoji.

Tyki took a quick glance at Sin, who was looking away, averting her eyes so that she wouldn't look at him.

 _Figures,_ he wanted to sigh, but instead focused on his task.

"Now, it looks like we can finally talk, boy." He chuckled, "Don't make that face. I haven't set any traps. Didn't I say there'd be no cheating?" Tyki ended up sighing anyway, finding that their distrust in him was too high.

Road latched onto Allen, her arms around his neck, "It'll be alright, Allen! On top of this tower's my door."

"It would be nice if it lead to the outside world too." Allen commented.

Road laughed lightly and glanced at Sin in the corner of her eye, meeting her eyes. She held them for a long second before giving her a small, knowing smile, then turned her attention back to Allen.

 _What was that…?_ Sin stared at Road's back with a puzzled look.

She noticed Lenalee's frightened expression across from her, with Lavi comforting the girl.

 _Poor Lena,_ Sin could emphasize with how Lenalee felt. She previously mentioned that her friends were her world, and seeing them hurt would hurt her, too. It would make sense that she feel threatened considering both Kanda, and Krory, were 'out of the dimension', with the old Ark.

"What was it that you wanted to discuss, Lord Tyki Mikk? Or is it 'orphan vagabond with sticky fingers'?" Allen asked.

Tyki leaned forward on his arm, "Don't be so cold, boy. You were the first person to ever strip a Noah down to his underwear. Don't you think it was destiny?"

Sin looked at Tyki with a surprised expression and covered her mouth, wanting to laugh at his words. She knew that he loved to play poker and cheat to get winnings (which she was always against), but she didn't see that he himself got played, too. However, the sinking feeling at the bottom of her stomach as well as her affection for the male stopped her from letting out even a peep of sound. The situation wasn't right, either.

 _Oh…?_ Tyki saw her reaction, finding the dash of humour that had appeared like a shooting star, in her eyes.

Lavi and Allen saw her reaction, with Lavi documenting it within his mind.

Allen turned his attention back to the poker player, "Not really. There are a lot of people I've stripped to their underwear while playing cards."

"What a mean thing to say!" Tyki stared at Allen with a comical expression, as if he were sceptical of him. "You really only 15?"

"Shall I show you mean?" Allen lifted up his left arm in Innocence form.

The look on Tyki's face changed darkly, but he kept the smirk on his face as he leaned back to the comfort of his chair. "Well, what do you know. I'm sure I destroyed that arm."

Sin's jaw dropped when she heard his words. She nearly slammed her hands onto the table to give an exclamation, but she didn't, fearing that their attention would go to her.

 _He was the one who 'killed' Allen back in China?! Tyki…!_ The emotions that went through her were a mix of many things.

"But you couldn't have, could you? After all, it's right here." Allen showcased his arm.

"Are you interested in Innocence now, Tyki?" Road piped up.

"Just a little bit," He leaned forward on his arm again, covering half his face in thought. "So anyway, boy, is it because of your left arm that you're alive, even though the Teez ate through your heart?"

There was a huge commotion right after he said those words, with Lavi and Lenalee fussing over Allen due to his kept secret. Sin stayed in her spot, looking Tyki's way as they bickered.

She saw him grab a cigarette and light it, glancing at her before turning back to the white haired boy and Road.

"Road, isn't it about time you let go of the boy?"

"Eh?!" She hugged him tightly around the neck. Allen had the most uncomfortable expression on his face. "But I love him!"

"Love between a Noah and exorcist is impossible." Allen gave her an intolerable look, "Now let go of me."

 _Huh?_ Sin felt her chest clench, almost painfully, at his words. She stared at the table wide eyed, enduring it. She could feel her head going slightly lightheaded as a side effect.

 _Does that mean I can't be friends with them either?_ A pained expression formed on her features.

"You know what the Earl's ultimate goal is? I've been having a good time so far, but..." Tyki stood up, "I suppose evil should comport itself with more gravity. Yes…you've helped me realise something, boy."

Sin gulped thickly. He seemed like a completely different person, but she knew, he was one in the same. The flip side of a coin in his personality, one she never really got to know until now.

When he stood up, Sin saw the glint of blue near his ears, which got her attention. She didn't remember him wearing blue earrings.

"In a fight to the death, you've got to give it everything you've got."

 _A fight to the death…? Having fun so far?!_ Sin felt her blood run cold. She covered her mouth with her hand, looking away.

A butterfly with the same design as the one that led them in the Ark flew towards Lenalee, about to land on her shoulder. Before it did, Allen stabbed through it with his Innocence, "Tyki Mikk…I've got something to say too," He stood up, "If you hurt my friends again…I'll have to kill you."

Allen got up onto the table and started charging towards Tyki, speaking to Lenalee, "Lenalee, trust me. I'll…take care of him." He met Sin's eyes as he went past, but didn't speak to her.

"I have nothing against you, boy." The Noah lifted his gloved hand up, a large butterfly coming out of it.

"ALLEN!" Lavi pushed his chair away, standing abruptly.

Sin stood up, watching Allen as he engaged in fight with Tyki.

Road floated in front of Lavi, standing on Lero. She wagged her finger, "Tyki likes Allen too. Don't interfere. Let's play, Bookman." She giggled.

"It's time to deal our final hand, boy." Engaged in fight, Tyki and Allen started their fight.

Sin started to panic, uncertainty filling her thoughts. What was she going to do? Her job as an exorcist? Or just watch on?

If she was going to do her job as an exorcist, she would have to kill the Noah, meaning she would have to kill her friend. If she wasn't, her other friends would get injured, or killed by the Noah.

 _What…what should I do…?_ Sin just froze, staring at Allen and Tyki's fight, tuning out everything around her. She could only hear the sound of her heartbeat.

Suddenly, Sin felt like she was floating. She felt something solid beneath her feet, but realised that, when she snapped out of her thoughts, she was in a box with Choaji and Lenalee.

"What—?" She saw that Lavi hadn't been imprisoned with them, and stood outside, talking with Road.

"If I win, you let them go." Lavi's hammer handle extended. He seemed about ready to rip something to shreds.

"Okay, sure!" Road smiled.

"LAVI?!" Lenalee shouted.

Sin glanced over at her, seeing her full of worry.

 _If I were as expressive as that it wouldn't be easier to contain emotions, would it?_ Sin thought, rubbing her temples. She still hadn't regained herself after her light-headedness faded away.

Sin heard something hitting the ground, and by the close proximity, she recognised it as Lavi. He seemed to be completely out of it, but was still kneeling down, and hadn't fallen over. Choaji and Lenalee were making a fuss regarding if he was alright or not.

Sin just observed, knowing that thinking things through was better than acting irrationally.

 _Not that I've followed that the whole time, but…_ Sin glimpsed over at Road's face, seeing her almost delighted, like she stole candy from another child. _If I act irrationally here that would probably mean the end of us._

Sure, the idea of keeping a calm mind and thought process was taught in schools since a young age, but putting it into action was a lot easier said than done.

Sin had done that for many, many years. It was only until the recent years that she's met Tyki and his friends that she's become a little less composed.

"AH?!" The exorcists in the box flew to one side when Allen smashed into the box. The box was strong enough to stay intact, but there was a large dent where Allen had hit it.

"ALLEN?!" The three of them exclaimed.

"One blast won't settle it, eh? You're tougher than you used to be. You've evolved. But I'll finish you this time. Don't fight it, boy." Something formed around Tyki's hands as he stepped forward towards Allen.

"TYKI!" Sin shouted, catching the Noah's attention. She gasped to herself, realising what she had said. She was worried that he would hurt Allen even further, and wanted to buy him some time.

 _Now I've done it…_ Sin was panicking mentally. It almost felt like she was grasping at straws.

He glanced over at her, surprised that she would say something. He saw her face and knew that she was actually quite scared. He knew her long enough to see this through just her eyes.

 _Now's not the best time…_ He thought with a light sigh. He was going to be finishing off Allen Walker, and she was trying to get in his way? _Well, whatever._

"I see you're doing well, Sin." Tyki mused with a small smile. He was quite glad she was doing well, and that she didn't get needlessly injured much in the process, save for a few cuts and bruises here and there.

Sin opened her mouth to say something, but no words would come out. She placed a hand on the box, a pained expression on her face. She was silent as Tyki came over, ready to continue his fight with Allen.

 _Don't make a face like that…_ Tyki was getting somewhat distracted; though he did try to get out of it.

"…there's no hard feelings, right?" Sin managed to say. It was already painful enough to see everything unfolding in front of her, but she didn't want to seem like a weak loser that cried over everything.

 _This is the only thing I can say right now…_ Sin looked at Tyki, seeing his eyes widen slightly before they went back to their usual shape, with a small smirk.

He chuckled, "No hard feelings."

Sin could only crack a small smile.

Lenalee and Chaoji stared at her with wide eyes, wondering what the hell she was saying.

"I can't let my heart fail me." Allen spoke finally, holding onto part of the crater he had made. "Do you think I'd…run away…from you fiends…and your darkness?" He was panting, as the fight had started to wear him out. He pulled his Innocence in front of him, showing Tyki the arm that was cracking.

"What's the matter? Upset about your new arm?" Tyki taunted, holding his own arm up, readying himself.

Before, Allen could hear the distress and sadness that Sin's voice bore. That gave him another reason, to do what he was going to do. Allen coughed up blood, wiping it off.

"Allen, don't let the Noah touch you. You've got a parasite-type Innocence! They can't damage it without injuring your body!" Lenalee hit the box.

Blood dripped down the ground, but he looked back and smiled at her, then went back to Tyki, "Tyki Mikk…you don't understand exorcists. You think we're like normal humans, that we're harmless if you destroy our anti-akuma weapons. You think we have no powers of our own. But what you should really fear…is the human in us." The cross on Allen's hand began to illuminate, sending out a strong light that turned his hand into a form comparable to that of ectoplasm.

"Innocence…provides the power…but it's an exorcist's human heart that makes him deadly. As long as my heart is bound to the Innocence…as long as my body remains intact…as long as I am an exorcist…as long as what I care about…is in this world…" Allen spoke his words with heart.

Sin jumped a little on her feet, feeling something from Allen.

Tyki's eyes were wide open as he stared at Allen. He then stared at his hand as if it were the craziest thing in this world, his hair falling from its style. He seem somewhat disoriented.

"The Crown Clown…will not be broken!" Allen's Innocence had miraculously repaired itself, looking brand new.

"Tyki Mikk…you Noah take human beings too lightly!"

After a moment, the Noah laughed, his hand on his face as he did so.

 _Tyki…?_ Sin's toes curled under her feet and her hands curled into fists against the wall as she watched on. This wasn't the first time she'd seen him angry, but rather, it was the first time she'd seen him _really_ angry.

"Just who _are_ you? Now I see. If I want to kill your Innocence, I have to kill your flesh as well." A symbol appeared behind him, which Sin knew instantly.

 _ **Haven't seen that in a long while.**_

Sin gasped, hearing that voice in her head again. She ignored it, seeing Road fly up on the pumpkin umbrella. She said a few things to Lero, and the box floated up, being brought out of harm's way.

However, Allen was not.

Sin nearly screamed when she saw the amount of power that Tyki had put into his attack, which sent huge shockwaves of wind around into a vacuum like space, destroying many things around it.

"Tyki's not playing around, Lero!" Lero commented.

"Are you trying to destroy this place?" Road rubbed the back of her head.

"Road! What's going on?! What's happened to Allen?!" Lenalee exclaimed.

"Allen's in there. This is dangerous." Road crouched down on the umbrella.

Sin could only stare at the sphere shaped wind on the bottom. It reeked of danger, so much that she could taste it.

"Tyki is the 'pleasure' of Noah. He can touch anything that's of this world. Judging by the way the space around Allen is rippling, I'd say Tyki's repelling the air to create a vacuum. If he keeps it up, Allen will suffocate." Road explained.

Sin felt something go over her as she stared at the vacuum. She heard laughter in the distance, but she didn't make out whose it was. But, the laughter was melodious, before it turned scary.

 _What…?_ Sin placed a hand over her eyes, her breathing becoming laborious. _Why…all of a sudden…?!_

Having become sick of seeing her comrades fighting, Lenalee began to kick the box, finding that it didn't break no matter how hard she kicked, or how much she bled.

Sin pressed a hand to her chest and tried to muster up some strength to tell Lenalee to stop, "Lena…stop…!"

Road had a bored expression, "That won't help. You can't even invoke your Innocence."

"You'll cripple yourself if you keep this up! You can't fight! You can't use your power!" Choaji cried.

Lenalee could feel the pain in her legs even more so than before, "I'm still an exorcist. I exist…to fight."

Hearing those words, Sin wanted to cry. Even in her current state, she had refused to use her Innocence for the sake of killing a Noah, or even engage in a fight with them. She had refused to get out of the box, because if she did so, they couldn't just interfere with Tyki and Allen's battle.

She didn't know who to side with – the exorcists, or the Noah. Of course, she was with the exorcists now, but her dear friend—Tyki, was with the Noah. She didn't want to fight him, but even if she did, she was sure that she would be the one to die first.

But even so, for her, she had a difficult decision. The Order, or her friends. If she were Lenalee, she would have picked her friends instantly, but because Sin had friends on both sides, it was near impossible for her to choose.

She let out a strangled cry as she collapsed to the ground, finding it harder and harder to breathe. It felt like something was purposely trying to knock her unconscious, but she didn't know what.

 _ **How about you let me take over? I could do with some fun.**_

 _No…!_ Sin pushed herself off the ground and tried to take deep breaths to stabilize. _Are you the one who's doing this?_

 _ **Of course. I want in on the fun. You'll only be a bystander if you continue like this.**_

 _Leave me alone…!_

 _ **Hahaha…just remember, you're this close to losing it.**_

 _What…? Losing…what?_

 _ **Losing it. Let me explain this simply to you—your emotions are forcing you to lose it. The more you feel, the more you suffer. The more you suffer, the more I am able to become what I once was.**_

 _What…? What do you mean?!_

 _ **Don't worry…it'll only be temporary, until it restores.**_

 _What restores?_

Sin's breathing began to go back to normal as she leaned against the wall for support. She groaned gently and saw that Lenalee and Choaji were asking her what was wrong.

She couldn't hear them at all, but she could make out what they were saying. Slowly, her hearing came back.

"Sin?! Are you alright?!" Lenalee cried, holding her friend's hands.

Sin nodded slowly, a little disorientated. The lack of oxygen was bad; her hearing had become weird and her head had become clouded. She was fine and better now, but she didn't want to feel that again.

 _What the hell is this voice in my head…? What does it want with me? What's temporary? What are they trying to become?_

"I'm…fine…" Sin spoke softly, and heard a loud crack and boom from the vacuum. She saw Tyki skid out of it with a weary looking expression.

"What happened, Tyki?" Road stood up on Lero.

Tyki bore silent for a moment, before talking, "He's an unusual human. This doesn't seem so funny anymore. Did I bring out…something terrible in him?"

Sin shuddered when she felt a cold chill from a terrifying power. The smoke that had come with the destruction of the vacuum had started to dissipate, showing Allen, with one arm holding a large sword.

 _ **Blast…! Who knew he had that?!**_

The next thing she knew, Allen and Tyki were fighting again. But, the tides had changed. Tyki was on the defensive, but he couldn't block. Even if he did, Allen's sword cut right through the barrier, including right through him.

"TYKI?!" Sin shouted, hitting on the wall.

Chaoji stared at her with wide eyes, doubt forming in his mind. Lenalee just gasped.

Tyki heard Sin's cries. His screams echoed throughout the whole area as his inner Noah was getting destroyed by Allen, who had the sword to purge evil.

Blood spilled from his mouth as he and Allen talked.

"You're not killing me…just the Noah?" Tyki laughed, "You're…soft! Much too soft. That sword's just a way to soothe your conscience."

"Say what you want. I know what I'm doing."

Road shouted, "Tyki!" She jumped off Lero and hit the ground, running towards Tyki.

The male Noah lifted his hand in a motion to stop her, "Stay back."

"Give up…TYKI MIKK!" Allen lunged the sword into him.

Tyki's hand went up to Allen's face, allowing him to say a few words, "Too bad…boy." He paused, his voice becoming quieter. "I'm sorry Road…Sin…"

Allen fixated his resolve, pulling out the sword from him. Tyki hit the ground, the stigmata on his forehead disappearing.

"Tyki…" Road spoke.

Sin gaped at the scene, eyes wide. Allen didn't kill Tyki, but he destroyed his inner Noah. Was that possible?

"He…he did it. YOU DID IT! HOORAY! HE DEFEATED THE DEVIL!" Choaji cheered.

Three candles flew the Asian's way, stabbing into his back. He collapsed in a heap, not making a sound.

Sin saw candles everywhere. They had sharp tips and seemed to be controlled by Road.

"CHAOJI!" Allen shouted with alarm.

"Don't move. If you do…I'll kill you." Road's tone of voice tasted like venom. It was threatening. "My candles may not be able to kill the Crown Clown…but they can kill your friends and pierce your flesh." She headed over to Tyki, leaning over him before kneeling down and hugging his head, propping him up with her arms, "I…really do like you, Allen. But family comes first. Don't you agree?"

Allen took a step forward.

"Don't move. I'm a little angry right now. You don't want me to poke holes in your friends, do you? But I'm going to make you pay anyway. I'm going to give your red-haired friend what's coming to him. Lavi…his spirit…is inside me right now. I'm going to puncture his heart."

 _Lavi?!_ Sin looked over to the box that Lavi was in, seeing that he was still slumped over on his knees. _Is he inside Road's dream world right now?_

She already knew that he was, but due to her excessive worrying about Tyki and Allen, she completely forgot about the red head.

 _If teacher knew about this they would be so mad…_ Sin thought, remembering their teachings and trainings. _Enough about that. Just what_ is _Road planning for Lavi in the dream world?_

Suddenly, the box containing Lavi opened, with the red head jumping down to where Allen was. He had strange markings on his face.

"La…vi…?" Allen turned around to face him. Lavi didn't utter a word.

"Allen…I have some sad news for you. Your Lavi's heart…just died. If you want to help Lenalee and Sin, you'll have to kill that one."

The candles inched closer to the boxed exorcists. Sin clenched her hands into fists, her hand going to her belt. Her hand clamped around her Innocence, wondering whether to use it or not.

"LAVI?!"

Lavi charged at Allen barehanded. They fought, with Allen on the defensive. Lavi was like a whole new person. He was fighting seriously, with martial arts that could rival those Sin saw in royal guards.

"If you're going to fight, use your Edge's End!" Road laughed chaotically.

Sin grabbed her Innocence and pulled it out, but a candle zoomed past her hand, causing a large gash to appear on it. She winced slightly.

"You think you can get out of this? Try it." Road's eyes gleamed darkly at her.

Sin stared at the gash on her hand. It was painful, but not something she couldn't take. With her uninjured hand, she ripped off the arm of the exorcist jacket and made a makeshift bandage around her hand, securing it well. She quickly picked up her Innocence and crawled over to Lenalee, seeing her on the brink of crying.

"Sin…your hand…!" Lena, who was watching the battle between Allen and Lavi, had directed her attention towards her female friend, who just got injured. Tears formed in her eyes. Sin went over to her, and with her left arm, wrapped it around Lenalee's head and pulled her into her chest, stroking her head.

"Lena, I'm fine." She smiled.

 _No, I'm not._

"Endure it a little while longer. Allen will solve this." Sin patted Lena's head and smiled down at her.

 _Will he?_

Lenalee didn't seem all too convinced. When she saw all the destruction and rampage going on the floor below, she started to cry, screaming at Lavi to stop using his Innocence to kill himself, and for her own helplessness.

 _Lavi…_ Sin covered her mouth with her bandaged hand, tasting blood. _You would sacrifice yourself…just like that…?_

When she saw the stamp of fire from underneath him, Sin knew, that Lavi was serious.

She hit the wall of the box with her hands, bloodying the wall before she stopped, and clenched her hands and jaw.

 _Even if I got out of this, Lenalee and Chaoji would be stuck in the fire stamp!_

Before she knew it, the box that they were in touched the ground, after Lavi's fire stamp move had frozen in place, almost like frozen fire, but without the heat. The walls of the box fell, and they were all able to move out. Sin helped Choaji up, but he pushed her hands away, giving her a dark look.

 _Chaoji…?_ Sin had a feeling that he didn't like her. She stopped trying to help him and headed over to where Allen and Lavi had fallen out.

"Allen! Lavi!" Sin shouted. She was there first, and checked on them, seeing that they were laughing, but hurt. She felt a sob rip through her body as she hugged the both of them, shouting at them to tell them not to worry her.

Once she let go, however, Lenalee clocked a clean punch right in Lavi's face, which surprised everyone.

Suddenly, female laughter sounded. The source of the sound was Road, who seemed to be burned to crisp. She spoke Allen's name before turning into dust.

"What just happened?" Chaoji asked, unsure.

Lenalee and Sin had the exact same thoughts.

 _Oh no…_ Sin thought.

"Hear her whisper your name? She really likes you. What did you do to her?" Lavi whispered, swinging an arm around Allen.

"Nothing! I never touched her!" The white haired boy elbowed Lavi, and soon, they were complaining about their injuries and were at each other's faces, pulling and stretching.

"Allen…Road disappeared. Wasn't her power maintaining the portal on top of the tower?" Lenalee finally spoke.

Sin nodded in agreement, pointing to the top.

She glanced around the area, trying to find Tyki. He was still alive, she knew, since Allen had gone for the Noah inside of him, rather than his humane side.

 _Where are you…?_ Sin searched, seeing him on the side, slumped against a wall with Lero flying around him, panicking.

She looked at her friends, seeing them talking amongst each other. Needless to say, they were distracted.

 _Sorry, guys._ Sin quickly headed over to where Tyki was. Since she was the least injured of them all, she was able to move as quickly as she could, her steps as light as a feather. Once she reached the area where Tyki was, she kneeled down and inspected him, knowing that he wouldn't just wake up like that.

"Lero! What are you doing, exorcist?!" The pumpkin umbrella complained.

"Be quiet! I'm checking on him." Sin sent a harsh look his way, telling him to lower his voice.

She didn't want the other exorcists to find out she was here. Choaji was already starting to hate her, and judging by the way that he was acting, he was distrustful of her too. The others were more open-minded.

 _After this, if this gets reported to the top, then I'd be branded a traitor since I was friends with and refused to fight, a Noah._ Sin exhaled slowly.

She placed a hand on Tyki's cheek, caressing it gently, "Tyki. Please don't hate me because I'm an exorcist."

She was keeping it all in, trying to supress all she was feeling. It was hard, but she had to. She knew she didn't have time, as the area started to crumble and rumble.

"I don't hate you, Tyki." She was trying, but it wasn't enough. A tear, then another, slipped down her cheeks as she smiled at him, "I will never be able to."

When they checked if the door was still on the top level, they were able to find it, and go up. However, they noticed that Sin was missing. By sheer coincidence, Allen wanted to bring back Tyki and Lero too, but when he looked over, he found that Sin was there, down by them.

"I'm going to bring up Tyki and Lero." Allen declared. He left out Sin's name because that was a given.

"WHAT?!" Lavi pulled Allen on the shoulder, "Are you crazy?!"

"Tyki Mikk's inner Noah is gone. He's human now. Besides, Lavi…when we first met on the train, he had human friends! That includes Sin! They're waiting for him to come back, it wouldn't be fair to let him die here."

Lavi made a face of uncertainty. He knew that Tyki and Sin were somehow connected, but he didn't know how much they were, and what their exact relationship was. Now he did.

"I don't mind…but if the Order finds out you helped a Noah…" Lavi trailed off.

 _Both Allen and Sin…_ he glanced down at where Tyki and Sin were.

"Helped? Didn't you kill him?" Chaoji felt anger and disbelief breed inside him like bacteria.

"He's still alive."

"Why? They're in league with the akuma! They killed Anita, Mahoja and my shipmates! How could you? You helped…a Noah? You betrayed us! If you helped one of them…you're my enemy!"

"Chaoji…"

"MY ENEMY! YOU'RE AN AKUMA TOO!"

Sin gasped when something wrapped around her arms, tightening around it so much that it hurt. She had heard Choaji's outburst, which hurt her, too. However, she had other problems to worry about. The roof above her crumbled after a hit from those same things she was held by, and she saw Allen on the ground nearby.

"ALLEN!" She shouted. She saw that he was fine, just pushing himself off the ground.

The things that had wrapped around her were like black, wispy like tentacles. She tried to rip them off, but they came off voluntarily, dropping Sin onto the ground. She saw where the tentacles had come from, her eyes widening as she felt a fear forming, a terrifying feeling more so than Allen's emanating from him.

"Ty…ki…?"

He was standing, those tentacles having come out from behind him. He had stopped right in front of Sin, where she was dropped, taking off the tie he wore. A black stigmata appeared on his throat, and his face had some form of tattoo that resembled that of the tentacles. The hand that held his tie, was bleeding black blood, and seeming to come from a cross that looked like it had been carved there.

"Who…are you!?" Allen shouted, "Are you Tyki Mikk?!"

Sin just sat there, petrified. She inhaled sharply when the black tentacles extended, before wrapping around Tyki. He was screaming as a whirlwind of dark matter formed all around him, transforming his appearance.

"SINI! GET OUT OF THERE!" Allen screamed, trying to hold his ground.

Sin didn't even react fast enough before Tyki let out a large amount of dark matter, his transformation having completed. Sin was hit with the dark matter, falling over and skidding not so far away.

She coughed, feeling like her lungs burned. She panted as she pushed herself off the ground, coughing right after. She wiped her mouth, before hearing a fight to her side. It was Allen and the dark knight, the appearance of the transformed Tyki.

She could barely see Tyki move – he was too fast for the eye.

 _He's faster than Kanda…!_ She tried to stand up, but her body ached all over, having been hit at close proximity to the male. She clenched her teeth, forcing herself up with trembling legs.

"ALLEN!" She screamed, seeing him get cut. It was a major cut that saw blood flying everywhere, horrifying the woman. They continued to fight, with Allen on the end of disadvantage.

"Tyki Mikk? Is that outfit supposed to be funny?" Lavi had intervened with the fight, holding onto Allen after he was sent straight into a wall.

Tyki began to laugh, sending chills straight down the exorcists' spines as he charged towards Allen and Lavi, destroying the area around them.

 _ **Whew. Now that's a sight I haven't seen in a long time.**_

 _What are you talking about?!_

 _ **That's Joyd, the Noah of Pleasure. That's your precious Tyki's Noah's form. Its true form. He's pretty powerful in this state and probably won't listen to any of you, so…**_

 _What do you mean?! Are you telling me there's nothing I can do?!_

 _ **Well, there is**_ **one** _ **thing…**_

 _Spill it!_

 _ **Chill, woman. I can't just go telling you this!**_

 _You've got to be kidding me! I'll just do things my own way, then!_

 _ **Hey, hey! Don't tell me that you're going to…!**_

Sin ground her teeth together, thinking of another option. She took out her Innocence and invoked, now holding onto a spear sword. She inhaled, seeing that Tyki was still fighting.

 _That…isn't him._ Sin said those words over and over.

"TYKI MIKK!" She screamed as loud as she could, trying to get the attention of the Noah.

He stopped his attack on Lavi and pulled back slightly, glancing towards Sin's direction. He stared at her for a little moment before charging straight at her, a dangerous smirk on his face as he laughed.

As he got closer, the tentacles began to reach around her, trying to grab her. She froze in her place and gulped thickly, hearing Lavi, Allen and Lenalee's screams for her to stop and go to safety.

 _ **YOU RECKLESS IDIOT!**_

Sin knitted her brows together and pulled her arm back, going into a stance that allowed her to combat any moves front on.

As Tyki got closer, she readied her Innocence, having made the decision that she would try and stop him. He pulled his arm back when he was close enough, throwing it in her direction.

She could feel the shockwaves that cracked the ground beneath her and the pillars behind her, but she didn't care. She held out her Innocence horizontally in front of her, holding both sides as she blocked his attack, her feet digging into the cracked ground. She winced as she felt her hand bleed profusely down her arm, dripping onto the ground.

Tyki pulled back his arm and disappeared from her sight, alarming the girl.

Lavi shouted her name, seeing Tyki appear behind her to give her a slash like he did Allen.

 _Tyki—_

 _ **Thank me later!**_

Sin saw the dark knight's expression of excitement before she felt something overcome her, and her consciousness taking a step back for something else to take over.

 _What is this?_ She gasped. _This is the same feeling I got when fighting against For!_

This time, Sin still kept her consciousness, but she wasn't in control of her body anymore. She could see everything that was happening, but could not feel anything at all.

 _ **I'll take care of things here.**_

* * *

"SIN!" Lavi shouted. He was shocked that she had decided to do things by herself and call him over, which would most likely result in her being killed, especially since he wasn't 'Tyki' anymore.

 _She can't die yet…!_ Lavi clenched his teeth together and pulled Allen up, hoping he could stand.

However, before he could do anything, he felt the presence of Innocence, but a form that was much, much darker than the Innocences he'd come across. He inhaled sharply, feeling a chill that went straight to his bones.

Beside him, Allen coughed repeatedly, feeling a disturbing aura that emanated from Sin. He looked up, his eyes clouded with a fear more so than that of Tyki.

"What… _is_ this?!" Allen exclaimed, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.

Lavi was the same, finding the sensation stifling. His eyes were wide as he watched Sin. A bright light had come from her, and in the next moment, two white wings had come out of her back, sending back shockwaves that forced Tyki through a pillar.

"What the hell…?" Lavi muttered with awe and shock. "That's…Sin, right?"

Sin's hair was starting to change from black to a platinum silver, having faded halfway. Her eyes weren't the usual blue, but rather, a red that rivalled that the colour of fresh blood.

She checked her wings, flapping them to check how they were, smirking. She ripped off the jacket of her exorcist uniform, throwing it to the ground, since it broke upon her recovering her wings.

" **Hm…** " She looked down at her attire, seeing that she only wore something similar to what Lenalee wore, saving the bandages around her legs.

She mumbled to herself, " **A long time coming**."

She checked the Innocence in left hand, seeing that her right hand was bleeding through the uniform piece tied around it. She examined it for a moment, before hearing a growl coming from Joyd, who had flew back to where Sin was, charging at her faster than ever.

Lavi and Allen watched with their jaws dropped, seeing how fast they were both moving.

Sin was dodging and parrying rather than going on the offensive, moving through his attacks with ease. Joyd was hysterically fighting, as if he was a crazy drunk, trying to get a hit in.

" **I'm surprised that the little princess's beloved friend has become like this**." Sin mused, her injured hand running along the sword. Her blood dripped off it.

Lavi and Allen stared at her in astonishment, wondering what she was talking about. It sounded like Sin, but it was definitely not her.

"That's not Sin." Allen stated, eyes narrowing. "She may sound like her…but I get the feeling it's not her."

Lavi nodded in agreement, finding that was the only way to see a situation like this. He documented it, knowing that this was something he needed to record.

Joyd flew towards her, sending a punch her way. She dodged it and used her injured hand to grab his wrist, the Innocence at his throat. She smiled at him, and he just froze.

"Why'd he just stop?" Lavi asked Allen.

Allen didn't reply, trying to get up.

Sin's injured hand let go of his wrist and touched his cheek, " **Joyd. It's been a long time**."

The dark knight didn't say anything, but instead, lifted his arm up to touch her face like she did him.

"What…the hell's happening?" Lavi stared at them, wondering what the hell was going on.

 _A Noah and an exorcist…what_ is _this? Didn't Tyki want to kill us all?_

" **How many years has it been?** " Sin spoke again, dropping her hand. She touched his hand that was on her cheek, squeezing it in her hand.

Joyd made a strange noise, pulling his hand away from Sin, flying back. He pressed his hands to his face and made a strangled noise, before screaming out loudly, as if he were in pain. His voice caused the remaining pillars to crack and the floor to crumble, leaving only water and rubble.

The top area in which the portal was destroyed, had Lenalee and Chaoji, who was taken by Sin in the nick of time, and placed near Lavi and Allen.

"You…YOU'RE AN AKUMA! I was right…you…you're in league with the Noah…I knew it!" Chaoji pointed at Sin with a shaky finger, trembling. He looked like he was about to cry, but it didn't come out just yet.

Lenalee stared at Sin with wide eyes, feeling the darkness of the Innocence that she held, at closer proximity than before.

 _This…this…!_ Her breathing became rugged. She had noticed that Sin's hair colour and eye colour had changed, and her aura was different, which was something that frightened her. Her wings, too, surprised her, and everyone else. Was this the true form of her Innocence?

Sin stared at Lenalee, then Chaoji, with a nonchalant expression. She spoke to Choaji, " **And you expect me to be in league with the Black Order?** "

Those words shocked them all, who stared at her with shock.

"Wha…what do you mean…?" Choaji arm slowly lowered, trying to register what she was saying.

" **Sin may love you guys like she loves that transformed Noah over there, but** _ **I**_ **don't have any loyalties to that pathetic Order for little shits like you all.** " Sin turned back to where Joyd was, " **I only saved you because it goes according to this vessel's wishes, and I owe her as much. The next time we meet, I may kill you.** " Sin sent a look at the group before she went off to fight Joyd, who was coming in closer.

However, he ignored her and went straight to the exorcists, sending a punch that separated them all.

Sin just flew in one spot, trying to make the hard decision whether or not to help them. They were her vessel's friends, but they were also exorcists.

 _Help them, you…!_ She should hear Sin shouting inside her mind.

 _ **Should I, though?**_

 _You're the only one who can help them…! Please, don't let them die! I beg you! Please…!_

She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, feeling kind of bad for Sin.

 _ **Since I feel bad for you, I guess I will.**_

Sin located the exorcists, mildly surprised at what her 20 seconds of thinking got them. Lenalee was being strangled by Joyd, with Chaoji trying to save the day.

A small smirk curled her lips as she watched, wanting to see what happened next.

 _YOU TOLD ME YOU'D SAVE THEM! YOU…!_

 _ **Calm down, girly. In a moment.**_

She heard Sin crying from the other side, shouting at her repeatedly.

" **Fine, fine**." She rolled her eyes and sped forward, going towards the spot that Joyd had smashed the rubble, letting Lenalee and Choaji fall in. " **Ah…so troublesome. They're underneath all that rubble. Wonder if they're dead yet.** "

Sin zoomed past Joyd, lifting her Innocence above her head. She was going to destroy the large pieces of rubble so that they would be easier to move. However, just before she did so, she felt a hand grab her by the back of her neck, clenching tightly.

" **Ow. That hurts, you know?** " Sin used her free hand to clamp it around the hand on her neck, and the other to destroy the rocks. As she did so, she threw Joyd over and towards the ground, where he smashed against the rubble to break it further. " **Ah, whoops. Slip of the hand**." She noticed the rubble starting to move, but not from the movements that she just did. It was from somewhere else, and she could feel the presence of another Innocence.

" **Oh…?** " She looked down, seeing Chaoji pushing up all the rubble with his veins showing and teeth clenching.

 _ **I see. So he's reacted to the Innocence but it can't get here.**_

Joyd moved from where he had made a crater, pushing himself off the rocks and to Sin, where he just missed her, clipping her wing. She faltered in the air, but it grew back, followed by two other wings that were slightly smaller.

She clicked her tongue, " **Now there are four**."

Joyd stared at his hand, where the Innocence had disappeared, then looked back at Sin with a wild grin.

Glancing over to the side, Sin saw that Allen and Lavi had destroyed the rubble on top of Lenalee and Chaoji, and were helping each other to a safer area.

 _ **They're fine now. Happy?**_

She didn't hear a word from the other side, only a sob that confirmed that she was crying, yet again.

 _ **You cry like one thousand times more than I do.**_

Joyd let out a battle cry and pushed himself to where the exorcists were, seeing that they were easier targets than Sin was.

She sighed with annoyance and flew after Joyd, going in faster now that she had more wings, and getting to the exorcists before he could. She grabbed them all and flew away in a spiral, throwing them down on a piece of rubble, away from Joyd.

"Ow!" Lavi complained.

" **You guys are heavier than I thought you'd be**." Sin sighed landed on the ground near where the other exorcists were, and retracted two of her wings. She held up her Innocence sword, pouring her energy into it, making it glow a dark green.

Before she could release an attack on the incoming Joyd, the ground around them became a golden colour, blinding her eyes and the incoming Noah's. The ground beneath them all crumbled in the shape of a circle, with Allen falling victim as he had ventured off the rubble to fight Joyd.

Joyd was pushed away by the bright light that was Innocence, while Sin flew to avoid falling. She flew out of the hole and landed on the outside of it, panting.

 _ **Shit…I used too much power for that**_ _._ She stared at the Innocence in her hand, finding that the power she poured into the Innocence had dissipated. _**I guess I can't use my power as I'd like in this body. Stupid restrictions.**_

Allen screamed as he fell, but Cross, who was in the disguise as a skull, grabbed him by the ankle, "Who is this filthy urchin?"

 _ **I knew it. It's him.**_ Sin thought with a heavy sigh. She pulled herself from the ground, seeing them come out of the hole, with Cross, who was standing on his other Innocence, a large container locked with chains.

"I thought I'd be able to tolerate the site of you by now. But you're still filthy. You haven't improved at all, my dear pupil." Timcanpy flew on top of his head.

"The Grave of Maria…" Allen's expression turned for the worst, "L-Long-time…no…see!"

"Why are you smiling?" Cross's disguise reverted back to the mask he wore on one side of his face, "Want me to drop you?"

Sin waited, seeing Cross take off the skull's jacket. The minute he landed on the ground where Sin was, he dropped Allen and scratched his head.

"Master…" Allen said. "T-Tim! You're here too?"

 _ **Oh boy.**_ Sin wanted to sigh many times over. She didn't expect to see this person here.

 _Do you know him?_

 _ **This is Cross Marian. You know, the General that all you exorcists were trying to find.**_

 _Ah! That is! That's General Cross!_

 _ **Don't be so giddy. He's a womaniser and will do anything to get in your pants.**_

… _pardon?_

Sin didn't even want to explain Cross to her vessel.

"At least you can finally do a proper spell." Cross offered him his hand, "But look at you. You're a mess."

Allen stared at his hand as if it were something foreign, but as he apologized, Cross grabbed his collar and threw him all the way over to where Lenalee and the others were.

"YOU'RE FILTHY, BOY!" His expression went dark as he looked over at Lavi, glaring at him too. "Hey, you get away from me too! I like to surround myself with beautiful things. Dirty things must never come near me."

"What a terrible thing to say!" Lavi inched away from General Cross.

Sin inched away slowly, hoping that he didn't see her trying to leave.

Cross's eye gleamed, having noticed Sin when he arrived. "You there!"

Sin made a face, " **I was hoping you didn't notice me**."

"How could I not notice someone as lovely as you?" Cross smiled.

Sin shuddered. " **Stop it with your flirting**."

Cross merely chuckled and looked at her, seeing that the form she had taken was one that he knew would happen sooner or later.

"Give that body back to her now." Cross spoke, undoing the Grave of Maria. "After I take care of him."

Sin's brows raised, remembering the last time she had heard from him talking specifically to her. She smirked. " **I** **see. Alright. For old times' sake, I will. Do what you will**."

"I'm surprised you don't care." He commented, throwing the chains that bound Maria away.

" **I do. But…** " Sin trailed off, having a feeling that Tyki won't die, nor will Joyd.

Cross smirked, before chanting the spell that released Maria. Maria sung, sending out the signals to remove everyone except Cross and Joyd, to the mind. That meant Joyd was not able to see anybody but Cross.

Cross flipped his long coat away, pulling out his equipment type Innocence, Judgement, aiming it at Joyd as he charged to attack.

"Amen." Cross chuckled as he took care of Joyd, much to the dismay of the other Sin.

 _ **It takes more than that to kill a Noah, you know.**_

 _B-but…! What about Tyki?!_

 _ **Eh, he's either dead or unconscious or something.**_

 _Don't give me such vague answers!_

Sin rubbed her temples, finding it annoying to deal with the other Sin, who just couldn't keep calm.

Sure, Sin understood that she hadn't been in a situation like this before, but she was overreacting.

 _ **I guess that's just accelerating the process. Oh well.**_

 _What…? What process?!_

Sin didn't respond to her as the ground started to crumble, signalling that it was almost time that the Ark was going to be destroyed.

"Is it time? I'd better hurry." Cross kneeled on one knee, ready to give another shot at the Noah.

" **Oh…?** " Sin eyes widened, before she smiled small.

The rubble that had started to fall revealed the Millennium Earl, with Joyd over his shoulder, unconscious. He held the same sword as Allen did when he passed the 100% invocation.

The spell that was cast over Sin to be invisible to Tyki had been broken, as the ground beneath her crumbled. She used her wings to fly.

"Good evening." The Earl greeted, both Cross and Sin.

"Hey! Still battling the belly fat, eh?" Cross remarked.

Sin didn't say a word and only chuckled.

She heard the shouts of the others, who she could care less about.

"How long has it been?" The Millennium Earl and Cross chatted for a little bit about Noah's Ark and the fourteenth.

While in the middle of discussion, Allen threw himself at the Earl, anger having flooded his veins and distracted his mind.

As Cross was talking and scolding Allen, stopping him with Maria, the Earl spoke to Sin.

"Do you still wish to destroy the Order as much as you used to? If you so do wish, I will help you." The Earl laughed and headed straight down into one of Road's doors, leaving the scene.

Sin stared at where the door disappeared, repeating his words in her mind. She chuckled to herself, a smirk coming onto her features.

"You, give that body back to her." Cross demanded at Sin. "I want the cute girl back."

Sin stared at him, dropping the smirk she had before, chuckling lightly instead. " **Fine**."

She glimpsed at Lenalee and Allen, seeing their expressions of shock, no doubt from the words the Earl had said earlier.

" **See you, exorcists**."

 _ **As promised, here's your body back.**_

Her hair turned back to its original black, and her eyes changed to the crystal blue they once were. The wings that had come from her back had disappeared, and the Innocence in her hand had reverted back to a hairpin.

Sin blinked a few times, feeling herself back in her body again. She looked around at the others, seeing that her friend's expressions were of surprise when they saw her, and that Cross was smiling.

"I'm…back…?" Sin moved her hand, but once she did, she winced in pain, feeling an incredible amount of pain in her hand. She stared at it, seeing that the uniform she wrapped around it was all bloodied, with excess coming out. Seeing all that blood made her feel queasy. She was surprised she hadn't lost it from blood loss yet.

"Sin…" Lena cracked a smile, "You're back!"

"You're back…" Allen repeated, mouth open.

Cross chuckled, "You're still as lovely as ever, _Sin._ "

Sin looked over at General Cross, seeing that his way of saying her name was almost as if he were saying it sarcastically. She decided to ignore it, "What do we do now?"

"I helped you against the Noah, now you must help me." Cross ordered Allen to stand up.

"What are you going to do?" Lena asked.

"My duty."

"Your duty?"

"I think you know why I'm here." Cross looked at Allen.

As if there was a lightbulb moment within him, he realised, "To destroy the akuma factory!"

"The room that houses it is still intact. Show the way, Tim."

A ball of bright light transported them to another room on the Ark, one that had many dead bodies of the skulls lying around.

Sin looked up at the large structure that was shaped like an egg, held by two large handles on the side to keep it in place. It was breathing.

"That's the egg, the Earl's evil body generator. I need to destroy it, but we don't have time to remove the protection barrier." The room rumbled, signalling how much time was left.

"What're we going to do?!" Allen held onto Lenalee.

Sin stayed standing, unfazed. She felt so out of it, especially after coming back from a completely different mental environment. Her senses felt kind of numb.

"What do you think? We're going to steal it. The download will stop and the Earl won't be able to create more akuma in the new Ark." Cross said it as if it was nothing.

"How are we going to? We can't get off this thing!" Allen protested.

"General! Are you going to move the Ark?" Lenalee asked.

"No, that job belongs to Allen." Cross chanted a spell, pointing his two fingers at the egg. "This spell should slow the download. All right, move the Ark, Allen! Hurry if you want to live!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Allen exclaimed.

"I'll open the special room." Cross sent Tim towards Allen, "Follow Tim, then you'll understand."

"But…why me?!" Tim transported Allen to another room.

"Because you're the only one who can do it, my silly pupil." The ground beneath Cross began to crumble, opting him to carry Lenalee. He turned to Sin, "You can use those wings, right?"

Sin's blue eyes widened at him, then she blinked a few times, realising that she didn't know how.

Sure, she saw them when she was trapped inside her mind, but it's not like she knew how to control it!

 _All those times that it's ever come out is when I was about to die or something major happened! How?!_

 _ **I'll help you out.**_

Hearing that voice, Sin felt something come out of her back. She looked over her shoulder, seeing two wings, a third of the size of the ones that she was using before. She flew above the ground, the feeling coming back to her. She had felt this before, a very long time ago.

She pushed that memory out of her head, shaking it.

Cross and Lenalee stared at her for a good moment, with Cross commenting that it was good. He then proceeded to talk to Allen through a wireless earring, similar to the ones that Allen and Sin got when boarding the Ark for the first time.

Soon enough, the akuma factory that was nearly gone had started to come back, along with the room it was in, repairing the ground and everything around them. As that happened, music accompanied it, a familiar tune that Sin had heard before.

 _Where have I heard this…?_

Cross, having finished his job, sat down after setting down Lenalee, placed a cigarette between his lips, and lit it. "The transfer of the factory was incomplete! The Earl didn't get it! This is a great victory for both of us, Allen!"

No sound came from the other side of the transmitter.

"Allen! Are you alright?" Lena asked with concern.

"Allen, send us a door so we can come rescue you." Cross scratched his forehead. "Just hope for one…"

A light came from a door that had just materialised, allowing for them to go in. Sin flew in after the others, seeing that inside of the room was all white, with minimal furniture. There was a piano, which Allen stood behind, a sofa, a chair and a wall sized glass window.

"Lenalee…Sin…I'm glad you two are safe." Allen smiled towards them. He noticed that Sin had small wings, flying towards him.

"We heard the music that halted the destruction. Were you playing it?" Lena asked.

"Yes…" Allen glared at Cross, "Why…was that musical score…"

"COME AND GET IT, ALLEN!" Lavi's voice sounded through the whole room, echoing around its walls.

Sin landed on her feet, the wings retracting. A smile formed when she heard that voice.

While stuck in her mind, she had heard that Lavi had fallen to his death judging by Allen and Lenalee's voice at that time, but now that she heard it again, she was sure that he was alive. That in itself made her eyes feel watery.

"Food?!" Allen exclaimed.

"He's not a dog, Lavi." Sin heard Chaoji comment. She realised that he had survived too.

"Oh yeah? Watch, Chaoji! He'll come running! HERE, BOY! STEAK! PASTA! SWEET DUMPLINGS! TIME TO EAT, ALLEN! COME AND GET IT!" A large projection of Lavi's face popped up right in front of them.

Sin grinned, feeling that their voices really cheered her up.

"Lavi…! Choaji!" Lena placed her hands over her mouth in astonishment.

"They're alive…!" Allen gasped.

"WE GOT RIBS!"

"Whoa…the whole city came back. It wasn't destroyed, just stuck between dimensions." Cross sat on the chair, nonchalantly scratching his head.

"Master, you said my friends were dead!"

"Well they were almost as good as dead."

"You lied to me!"

"DUMPLINGS! DUMPLINGS! DUMPLINGS!"

"Lavi! We're here! Can't you hear us?! Master?! CAN'T THEY HEAR OUR VOICES?!"

Sin headed over to Lenalee, placing a hand on her back, seeing her on the ground. She was silent, as if trying to register what was happening. Tim flew around her.

"If we're alive…maybe Yu and Krorykins are too!" Lavi realised, an imaginary lightbulb appearing next to him. He took in a big breath of air, "YU'S HAIR LOOKS LIKE—"

"Watch what you say." A door slammed opened, revealing Kanda, who was dragging Krory on his back.

"YU!" Lavi raised his arms in happiness, going over to Kanda. He looked around to see who he was carrying, "Is that Krorykins you're carrying?"

"Yeah…but what happened here?" The Mugen user looked around, puzzled.

"I have no idea!" Lavi shrugged.

"COME ON! GET OUT HERE, BEAN SPROUT!"

"DON'T CALL ME BEAN SPROUT!" Allen retorted back, shouting.

The three of them on the visual seemed like they could hear his voice.

"Huh?!" Chaoji gasped.

"Allen!?" Lavi looked around, trying to find where the voice was coming from.

"Bean sprout's voice is coming from up there." Kanda made an angry face.

"MY NAME'S ALLEN!"

"Eli…ade…"

"Hey! Krorykins just spoke!"

Sin laughed a little at their comments, comforting Lenalee when she started crying, sobbing as she heard her friend's voices. She thought they were dead, and felt incredible relief when she found out they were not. Timcanpy tried to cheer her up.

"Lenalee! They're back!" Sin smiled, rubbing her back.

Lena looked over at her, eyes red, with tears still falling down her face. "Yes!" She smiled.

As Lena cried, Sin patted her back.

Except, her mind was distracted. She couldn't help but think of what happened while she wasn't in control of her body, as well as what the Earl said to her.

 _Who exactly are you, voice in my head?_ Sin thought, trying to get her voice to reach the other one. She wanted to find out more about them, to see why they're in her mind.

 _ **Me?**_ The voice was silent for a long while, before finally speaking again, _**you can call me 'Mei'.**_

 _Mei…_ Sin raised a brow, _isn't that Chinese?_

 _ **It was a name I had a very, very, long time ago.**_

Sin had one last question, one that she wanted to find out more about. _Just what are those wings that you're able to control?_

 _ **The wings? I'm able to control them because I know how to. But those are not**_ **my** _ **wings. They're yours. You just haven't learnt how to yet.**_

 _What do you mean?_

 _ **What do you mean, 'what do you mean'? I should be asking that, you know.**_

 _No, I mean, they're_ my _wings?_

 _ **Yes, they're yours.**_

 _But how?_

 _ **Silly…it's your Innocence.**_

 _Innocence?_

 _ **Yes. Do you remember what Allen asked you, back at the Asia branch? About what the name of your Innocence is?**_

 _Yes…?_

 _ **Well, now you'll know. It's called 'Seraphim'.**_

 _Seraphim…_

Sin took out her Innocence, staring at it for a long moment.

 _This is called 'Seraphim'? I thought the Order gave names to the Innocences. They just never happened to give me mine._

"Seraphim…" Sin spoke those words quietly, standing up. She placed the Innocence back into her pouch.

"Sin." Cross spoke. "Come here for a moment."

She turned around, seeing him on the chair. She went over to him, curious as to what he was going to say.

Cross stood up, looming over her shorter figure. He was over a good head taller than her, so she had to crane her neck to see his face.

"General Cross?"

"Don't let it consume you." He spoke this quietly so no one apart from them could hear.

 _What?_

"G-General Cross…?" Sin questioned once again, unsure of what he was saying.

"MASTER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Allen shouted from the other side. He charged at them.

Allen skidded to a halt between Sin and Cross, his arms out to protect his friend from his fiendish Master. "Don't touch her!"

 _Uh…Allen…?_ Sin just blinked, surprised that he would jump in between them.

"Is she your woman?" Cross questioned with a raise of his brow. When Allen didn't reply, Cross shrugged, "I was just going to give her my coat. Silly pupil."

Sin swore she saw Allen breathing fire, cursing his Master. Cross took off his coat and placed it around Sin, ignoring Allen's looks of warning at him. He leaned in closer, "It's been a while, little princess. You've grown up well."

"MASTER!" Allen tried to shove them away from each other, succeeding.

"Cross…how do you know?" Sin asked with wide blue eyes, staring at him in disbelief.

Allen stared at her as if she was crazy, then glared at Cross.

"You've forgotten me, have you? I'll get you to remember. How about we talk about this over—"

"MASTER! EVEN IF SHE IS LEGAL DON'T HIT ON EVERY WOMAN YOU SEE!"

"If she's legal there's nothing to worry about, is there?"

"MASTERRRRRR!"


	14. Chapter 13

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #13

* * *

"Timcanpy…I haven't seen you since we split up in China! Since then I've…" Tears formed around Allen and Tim's eyes, "…been so busy I hardly had…TIME TO THINK, BUT I MISSED YOU! YOU'VE GROWN!" Allen brought out a ruler and measured the golden golem, both of them crying their eyes out.

"C'mon, you two, we're leaving!" Lavi called.

Sin laughed at the heart-warming scene, finding it adorable.

The aftermath of the fight with Noah was relaxing, and Sin had joined the other exorcists on a walk around the Ark.

Lavi eyed the woman, seeing one arm with lots of dry blood, and the other with a few scrapes and bruises.

 _If I recall correctly, this…other person that fought Tyki, wasn't Sin?_ Lavi was still confused at that specific point. He placed his arms behind his head and walked forward, _good thing I've got that recorded,_ his eyes met hers when he glanced over again, seeing the blue irises stare at him innocently.

"S-Sin?" He was caught off guard a little.

"You kept looking over, so I thought I'd ask what was wrong." She tittered.

"Ah…it's nothing, really." Lavi smiled and looked ahead, feeling the tranquillity of the Ark. "It's so quiet. Did you really stop the Ark from self-destructing, Allen?"

"I think so, but I'm not exactly sure how." Allen looked up, seeing birds.

Lavi thought off to the side, _I missed the best part!_

Kanda scanned the area, "We've checked it out. There don't seem to be any Noah left."

Sin stared at Kanda for a long while, seeing that it was almost nostalgic to see his cranky face.

 _Did I miss that beautiful face of his or just that always irritable expression?_ Sin thought. _Either one, it's kind of reassuring, actually._

Kanda frowned when he saw her watching him, "What?"

Sin smiled at him, "I kind of missed your angry face, actually."

He gave her a funny look, "Are you a masochist or—"

Allen interrupted, "Kanda! There's something that's been bothering me. That tattoo on your chest, has it always been there?" The white haired boy sweated slightly, hoping that Kanda's words didn't reach Sin.

Kanda clicked his tongue and looked away, "It's not important."

"Also, I'm not a masochist, Kanda! I can't believe you'd say that about me!" Sin karate chopped his head with her right hand, then instantly regretted it as she gasped out in pain, holding her hand as she felt it through her whole arm.

Kanda didn't even need to block, not feeling any bad intentions of the sort. "That was pathetic." He muttered. It didn't even hurt him. It was like a fly landing on his head.

"Sin! Hang in there!"

"Are you alright?"

Chaoji stood there with a conflicted look on his face. He didn't dare talk to Sin, because she was friends with the Noah. Except, she was still an exorcist. He didn't hate her as a person, but he hated how her personal relationships were, and how it would impact the war.

He thought back to his shipmates, and Anita. He remembered that before he left with the exorcists to safety, she had told him something that he was to remember, apart from remembering them, and doing his best for them.

" _ **Chaoji, if you ever run into the little princess, please tell her that I'll be there to watch over her."**_

Those were Anita's words, but Chaoji didn't know who she meant.

 _But why think of this now?_ Chaoji thought with doubt. He sighed gently and watched as Kanda and Allen bickered afterwards, and Lavi asking Sin if she was alright.

Allen headed over to a door and opened it while talking, which lead to an empty room, with nothing but black space. He took a step into it, before realising that there was no floor.

Sin walked right into Kanda's back, hitting her nose. She rubbed it as she heard a shout from Lavi, before Kanda was dragged down, then Lavi, then Chaoji. Sin was accidently pushed by Lavi, falling.

She blinked as she headed straight down, not registering that she was falling in her mind. Allen caught her with his free hand, breathing a sigh of relief, "That was close…"

Sin just dangled there, wondering what the hell just happened. She realised that she was floating in nothing and listened to the complaining from the others. When it registered in her mind, she forced her lips into a tight smile, thinking about how to get out of this mess.

 _I can fly, right?_ She wished for her wings to work, and once she did, they sprouted from her back. She had given Cross's coat back, and just went around as is. It didn't bother her. With her wings there, she flew up to where Allen was, flying in front of him.

Once he noticed, he let go of her wrist, "I forgot you knew how to fly." He laughed lightly.

"Thanks for catching me, Allen!" Sin smiled at Allen before heading back up, landing on the ground near Chaoji.

"Fly?!" Kanda exclaimed.

Before Sin could reply, Choaji had pulled them out, throwing them high in the air before they hit the ground.

 _This presence…_ Sin could feel Innocence, which wasn't one of theirs. It was Choaji's, and was around his wrist, glowing green. There were two bracelets, one connected to the other that was around his wrist. _Just like Mei said…_

"Ow…" They groaned. Once they were up, they were lively again.

"Oh, yeah! You're an accommodator!" Lavi gave Choaji the thumbs up. "And strong!"

"What?!" Kanda rubbed his head.

"It came to him because the Ark stabilised." Allen stared at the new accommodator.

"Innocence…the power to defeat akuma…" Chaoji clenched his hand, "Anita and the others gave this to me. I'm sure of it."

 _ **Hate to break it to you buddy, but that's not it.**_

Kanda whipped around to look at Sin, a brooding expression on his face.

"K-Kanda…?" Sin held up both her hands, feeling slightly intimidated.

He pointed to the wings that were on her back. "Is that Innocence?"

"Uh…" Sin looked over her shoulder at her wings, retracting them back. She rubbed her neck, "Apparently so."

"So it's both a sword and wings?" Lavi questioned, curiosity perking.

"I think so," Sin raised a brow, "But I'm not too sure."

Lavi hummed a single tune, before slumping over on his knees, "Speaking of Innocence, mine got shattered. I wonder if it's okay." He took out a bag of his shattered Innocence, staring at it with a depressed look.

Kanda did the same, but his was angrier.

"Komui will fix it." Allen commented.

 _But for how much?!_ The Mugen and Hammer user could just imagine Komui laughing, asking them to pay up, since he did nothing for free.

Sin laughed lightly, knowing that it was almost completely true, especially towards the males. How much Komui was biased towards his sister and other girls is unknown.

"I'm more worried about Krory. He won't wake up. Lenalee and Cross are taking care of him together…" The instant those words left Allen's mouth, everyone's eyes save Sin's became bloodshot and wide.

Soon enough, they were in the room that Sin was in before, the one with the piano. Krory was resting on the sofa, with Cross and Lenalee in front of him, Cross's hand on Lenalee's cheek.

Sin's jaw dropped, as she knew Lenalee wasn't even 18 yet, and Allen had mentioned that he didn't know how old his Master was, and that he looked the same from since he first met him.

 _No wonder Allen was so defensive of me before!_ Sin thought with wonder.

"THAT'S A CRIME, MASTER!"

"No, Allen, he was just—" Lenalee tried.

The others spoke on top of her, berating the General for trying to hit on Lenalee.

 _I don't think that's the case here._ Sin thought for a moment, seeing Lenalee's eyes glossy. When they had arrived, she remembered seeing Cross with a saddened look, but it was gone the instant they had come along.

 _Oh well._

Afterwards, Allen was able to cut the Ark and Edo's connection, opening a gate to wherever they needed to go. Sin joined Allen in going to the Asia branch.

"Hey! Everybody okay?" Lavi was the first to come out of the Ark, coming out in Edo. Miranda was a crying mess, and Bookman had even shed a few tears, commenting that it was bad for his heart.

"WALKER! SIN!" Bak screamed, sprinting towards the gate that had opened in the Asia branch.

Sin and Allen were greeted by Rikei and the others, who exclaimed in happiness that they were back.

"Bak! Got a phone? I'd like to call HQ. We can't just show up without warning." Allen noticed Bak and Won sprinting towards him.

"Thank goodness you're safe!" Roufa beamed at Allen, welcoming him back.

 _She likes him_ way _too much,_ Sin realised. She laughed.

It was a warm feeling, to be welcomed back by everyone. They were all so kind and their happiness was infectious, but Sin herself didn't have any extremely close friendships with anybody, so she felt a little left out, even if she was considered one of them.

"Eh? Hm…this your woman, Allen?" Cross shoved his hand in Allen's face and pushed him out of his way as he got out of the Ark, getting a good look at Roufa.

"Hey! Where're you going, Master?! You're not running away again, are you!?"

"Stop, General!" Arms wrapped around Cross's waist, which belonged to Lenalee. "Don't disappear again!" She held him tight, not letting go. Cross just froze in his place, staring down at the cute exorcist.

 _I'm sick of looking for you!_ Lenalee hated the thought of having to find him again.

 _Is this why Lenalee was assigned to Cross's unit? Komui used her…_ Allen thought with a blank face.

"FIRST LENALEE'S HAIR AND NOW HER VIRTUE?!" Bak screamed in the distance.

Sin smiled, laughing along with the others that were laughing at Bak.

* * *

After going back to HQ via the Ark, Sin was treated for minor injuries at the infirmary. She was told to take time off from using her right hand, and was to be discharged earlier than the others, who were injured more so than she was.

Inside the infirmary, she helped to fill out the report that would be given in to Komui for the mission. It was going to be a very long report, but they managed to get through it, and submit it for the Chief to look through.

"Ah, he's not here." Sin was there to give in the report to him after adding the final touches before a meal, but found that he wasn't in sight.

Reever, who was clearing the Chief's desk, was the one who greeted Sin. "Yo, Sin. Komui's not here right now, so you can just leave it here."

"I see." Sin handed the documents to Reever, who placed it on top of a small pile at the centre of the desk. "Is Komui out procrastinating again?"

Reever shook his head, "No, this time, he's in a meeting with the guys from Central."

"The guys from Central?" Sin questioned with a tilt of the head.

"Yeah. They're holding a meeting to discuss what to do now."

 _ **Central…? Heh, those bastards again…**_

 _Mei?_

Sin nodded slowly, before telling Reever she'll be taking leave. As she headed back to where the cafeteria was, she thought of Central, and why they were here. She knew that exorcists were under the Chief, and the Chief undertook orders from the top brass, such as Central Agency and the Holy Father.

 _What kind of orders would Central give Komui, though? Surely they must be here to discuss the future of their plans, like the plans of attack against the Earl, and the usage of the Ark now that it's in our possession._

 _ **I'd advise you to get out of the Order as quick as you can.**_

 _Hm? Mei? Why? Do you dislike Central that much?_

 _ **Hmph. Don't say I didn't warn you.**_

Mei fell silent after that, not uttering another word. Sin had stopped in her steps and was in front of the cafeteria, waiting for Mei to answer. When she didn't, she just raised a brow and stepped in, wondering what Mei was thinking.

* * *

"Is everyone here?"

In the meeting room of the Order, the exorcist Generals had gathered, along with the branch heads. They sat around a round table, waiting for the one that had called them. Finally, they had made their appearance.

Two men, one positively older than the other, donned a moustache and sharp eyes. The other had blonde hair in a bowl cut fringe, cut higher than his double ended eyebrows, and braided blonde hair. He had two dots placed vertically on his forehead.

"Thank you for coming. I'm special inspector Malcolm C. Rouvelier from the Central Agency. I've read a detailed report of the recent events." He took a seat, "This…is a very special occasion." He looked across from him, seeing the elusive red haired General, "We have a prestigious guest with us today. I've been looking forward to speaking with you…General Cross Marian."

"Swell." Cross's feet were up on the table, not giving a care about what other's thought.

"General Cross Marian…4 years ago, immediately after you were assigned to destroy the akuma factory, you stopped communicating with HQ. You haven't reported in even once. During this latest crisis, your unit and Tiedoll's went to Edo, Japan and infiltrated the Ark." Link, Rouvelier's assistant and another that was part of Central Agency, spoke. "Then Lenalee, marked as the Heart by the enemy, five other exorcists, and a youth who later was found to be an accommodator, were taken inside the Ark, which had begun to disintegrate, and there did battle with the Noah. You found the akuma factory and helped the exorcists defeat the Noah. You ordered one of the exorcists, your pupil Allen Walker, to take control of the Ark, seizing the factory in the process. Then, without authorisation from the Order, you used the Ark to return to HQ." Link sat down after his long speech that summed up the events.

"It's been four years since you sat here. You accomplished a great deal, General." Rouvelier said, "However, you caused us considerable apprehension. We had no idea where you were. I don't like to criticise a colleague, but…"

"It was dangerous work. I was operating under the enemy's nose. I had to take unusual precautions. The Earl's minions were everywhere. It became quite dicey when they began targeting generals in their hunt for the Heart." Cross told them his turn of events, leaving out a huge chunk of it while trying to dramatize the vague parts that he spoke.

Rouvelier smiled, but his expression turned sharp and frightening, "Fortunately for you, your mission was a success. Or you would be facing severe penalties."

He continued, "The recent battle in Edo has drastically altered the strategic situation. By seizing the factory, we have temporarily cut off the enemy's supply of akuma. The Earl will be forced to postpone the return of the three days of darkness and his apocalyptic plan. No doubt the Earl will find a way to recover from this setback, but we certainly will have more time to prepare for the final battle than we did. And we must use it to gather Innocences and apostles and build our military might. The stolen Ark's transportation ability will be extremely useful in large scale actions against the Noah and akuma."

"We're going to use the Ark?!" One of the branch heads exclaimed.

"I'd like Chief Komui to begin preparations." Rouvelier eyed the Chief.

"You want exorcists to use the Ark?" Klaud Nine questioned.

"That's fine by me, if it gets us to the battlefield faster." Socalo didn't care.

"The enemy's been using that Ark for 7000 years! We should study it carefully before we use it!" Bak pressed his hand on the Australia branch head's face, pushing him away.

"But you already went inside, Director Bak!" He complained.

"Shut up, runt!" Bak retorted to him.

"That's not necessary. That is the opinion of the Great Generals and the Holy Father." Rouvelier spoke.

"But you could endanger the exorcists." Bak asserted.

"Who asked your opinion? This organisation doesn't exist to coddle exorcists. It exists to win this war." Rouvelier's stance outraged Bak, who froze from his words.

He ground his teeth together, cursing Rouvelier and Central Agency in his mind.

"Sit down, Director Bak." Komui piped up.

"Komui…"

"Sit down."

 _We carry out the will of the Holy Father. Defeating the Earl is all that matters to Rouvelier and his ilk. They're fanatical defenders of the faith, who see exorcists as sacrificial lambs. We must obey the Holy Father, or be slain as heretics,_ Komui didn't like when Central intervened.

 _But I have a job too. I have to look out for the exorcists. I'll use any means within my power…to protect them from those jerks,_ Komui's eyes widened slightly when he realised that the report that Rouvelier read might have contained information about Sin. He dreaded that, as he knew what would happen should Central know.

"There's something more dangerous than the Ark that you should be investigating." Rouvelier lifted two fingers, "Allen Walker…and Sin Diae."

Komui's blood ran cold when he heard that name. Bak was about to protest, but didn't know why Sin would be more dangerous than the Ark.

 _Those jerks…!_ Komui clenched his teeth together.

"First, Allen Walker." Rouvelier paused, "The Ark is the Earl's creation. We know nothing about it. So how was Allen Walker able to operate it, General Cross?"

"He's asleep." Tiedoll pointed to the red haired General, who was snoring away on his chair.

"WAKE UP!"

"It was a last resort. Faced with death, people can do amazing things." Cross waved it off like it was nothing.

"I see…you think I'm a fool." Rouvelier's expression darkened.

"General," Link spoke, "You took Allen Walker as your pupil right after receiving orders to destroy the factory, didn't you?"

Cross eyes them, knowing something was up.

"Did you know who he was when you sent him to the Order? Was it the will of the 14th? Is Allen Walker the 14th authorized pianist?"

Cross's eye went wide.

"What's he talking about?" Bak questioned. The others had no idea as well.

"Do you think we assigned you to destroy the akuma factory without knowing anything?" Rouvelier asked.

 _They knew the factory was in the Ark,_ Cross thought.

"You sent me there on purpose." He remarked.

"Then you admit your involvement with the 14th? Answer me, General."

"How do you know about the 14th?"

"I'm asking the questions here. I need to know which side Allen Walker is working for."

"What are you talking about?! He's an exorcist!" Bak interrupted.

"Yes, but he may well be a dangerous heretic. Have you forgotten Suman Dark? We are the army of God. We shun all wickedness." Rouvelier stated.

 _Yet he wants to use the Ark…hypocrite!_ Bak thought angrily.

"Allen Walker must face the inquisition." Rouvelier spoke. When those words left his mouth, the others looked at him in alarm.

 _Trial by torture! That's basically giving him a death sentence!_ Bak opposed, "Hold on! You can't be ser—"

"Inspector Rouvelier!" Komui spoke up, "We received no intelligence pertaining to the 14th or a pianist! I'd like you to explain yourself!"

"I apologize. Allow me to clarify…"

"No. I request that the investigation be suspended. Submit your explanation in writing." Komui spoke hard words, earning a look from Rouvelier.

"Investigate all you want, Rouvelier." A slight smirk curled Cross's lips. "And please do whatever you want with Allen."

"What are you saying, Cross?!" Komui slammed his hands down on the table, standing up.

"Very well, General. I will do so." Rouvelier pointed to the red head, "For the time being you are not to leave HQ. I will assign you attendants from Central Agency. And, you will not speak with Allen Walker. I'll assign a guard to watch over him as well." He turned to Link, "Inspector Howard Link, will you see to that?"

"Yes, sir! To your satisfaction, Inspector Rouvelier." Link saluted.

"Now…" Rouvelier paused, before starting up again. "The exorcist known as Sin Diae."

Link spoke up, "She was one of the exorcists that infiltrated the Ark along with Allen Walker. It is understood that she has some form of connection to the Noah and that her Innocence is the spear sword that is a hairpin."

"Have you heard, of the Innocence 'Seraphim'?" Rouvelier spoke right after Link.

Cross's eyes narrowed. Bak and Komui clenched their hands into fists, knowing that nothing good would come out of his mouth.

"Allow me to explain. Seraphim is an Innocence that is hated by God. It is an Innocence that only heretics use."

"But she's an exorcist! She's working for the Order!" Bak protested. It was like a repeat of the same thing with Allen, but at a harsher level.

"Sit down, Director Bak." Rouvelier warned. Bak grunted before sitting back down. "In those reports, it is said that she sprouted wings, and proceeded to fight with the Noah, and fought on par with them. Those wings are Innocence, which can only be achieved with 90% or above synchronisation. However, the Innocence itself is a blasphemy against God."

"What? Why? She hadn't done anything to warrant her to become a Fallen One!" Bak was the only one who had outbursts. "She isn't someone who would succumb that easily!"

"All those who have possessed such an Innocence before Sin Diae have fought against the Order, fighting against God's will. She will be no exception." Rouvelier's words were harsh. "Not only that, she is on friendly terms with a Noah. We cannot be sure that she will not go against the Order! That is why, she will be sentenced to death."

Gasps were audible in the room as he spoke those words, shock on everyone's faces.

"Why would you execute an exorcist just based on their Innocence?!" Bak slammed his hands on the table, wanting to throw a punch at the Inspector's face. A few of the other branch head's held him back.

Komui clenched his hands into fists, "Inspector Rouvelier! If it is her Innocence that is the problem, would it not be better to just take her Innocence away?!" He was on edge now. Not only was Rouvelier doing what he wanted with the exorcists under him, he was also being unreasonable, especially with Sin's case. "Explain!"

"If we did not kill the host of the Innocence, would the Innocence not come back to that same person?"

Komui's eyes widened at his words. His words were not wrong, but they were not right either.

 _Dammit! Rouvelier…!_

Bak growled at Rouvelier, hating that he was making such a huge decision by himself.

 _Heartless jerk!_ Bak cursed him mentally, absolutely hating him.

"Central Agency will take hold of her until her execution, a week from now." Rouvelier declared.

"Inspector—" Komui started.

"Be quiet, Chief Komui." Rouvelier's words shut Komui up, who glared at him.

Cross stated, "Central is scared of such an exorcist?" He laughed, throwing his head back, "That's funny!"

Rouvelier shot the General a look.

Cross scoffed, "Don't give me such a scary look."

"Before you take her away, I need to inform her of something." Komui said it through half clenched teeth.

Rouvelier eyed the man, "Hmph. Do what you will."

When the meeting ended and the Inspectors left, Komui sighed angrily, rubbing his temples.

Bak shouted out in annoyance and pure disbelief, hitting the table with his hands, cursing and complaining about the moustached male.

The other branch heads were out of the loop with what was happening, but got the gist of it from Bak's simple explanation.

"Let me talk to Sin." Cross stood up, scratching his head. "I've got something I need to say to her."

"Cross…?"

* * *

"What—" Several guards surrounded Sin at the cafeteria table.

She was eating with the others, even Kanda, who had come down for a meal. He just so happened to be on the emptiest table, thus everyone sitting there.

"Sin Diae?" The guards asked.

Everyone at the table stopped eating and stared at them, wondering what they wanted.

"Yes, that's me." Sin spoke slowly, seeing them eye her up and down.

"You are to be sent to Central to await your execution 7 days from now." The guard spoke.

Sin's blue eyes widened as she stared at them in shock. She heard her friends dropping their food, and in a moment, they started to complain and shout at them, asking them what their purpose was and why.

"E…execution…?" Sin's mouth opened in speechlessness and astonishment when she heard them. "Me?" She pointed to herself.

"Yes. It is under orders by Central."

 _Central…? Is that what they were discussing?! My execution?!_ Sin clenched her hand around the glass of water she was drinking, looking away.

 _ **I told you so. You should've listened to me.**_

She stared at the food, feeling her appetite weaken. She placed the glass down onto the table, then moved one hand in front of the others so that they would stop talking over each other and shouting at the guards.

All the people in the full cafeteria were staring at them, silent.

"On what basis does Central order for my execution?" Sin's eyes narrowed as she stood up. She was feeling a whole range of emotions, but mainly from the anger that had started to rise. It had been a very long time since she had gotten really angry.

"Your Innocence, Seraphim, is considered an act against God and the Holy Father! That was the reason we were told!" One of the guards saluted, but was slapped by another to tell him to stop.

"My Innocence? An act against God?" Sin clenched her hand into a fist, glaring at them. She ground her molars, "What kind of basis is that?! How is having an Innocence an act against God? Innocence is God's will to destroy akuma! I am an exorcist that fights against akuma! If Central's screwed up logic is to kill anyone that possesses Innocence, then there shouldn't be a Black Order in the first place!" She glowered.

The guards looked unsure, wavering slightly, before shaking their heads. "Before you are to depart to Central, Chief Komui and General Cross wish to speak to you. We are here to lead you there."

"Komui and Cross?" Sin questioned, brows furrowing together.

 _Ah. That's right. Komui promised he'd explain everything to me once I got out of the Ark. But what does Cross want?_

"W-Wait!" Lenalee shouted, "Why is Sin going to get executed?! She didn't do anything wrong!" She cried.

Lenalee held a look of fright, scared for Sin.

"That's right!" Allen and Lavi spoke up. "That's uncalled for! Stop joking around!"

Link, who was assigned to Allen, sat there, wondering if he should intervene. He sighed, speaking up. "It is under the Holy Father's orders that she be executed."

"But why?!" Allen exclaimed.

Link met everyone's eyes, seeing that he couldn't get out of it. So he told them, "All those who bore her Innocence previously have gone against the Order. To prevent such a thing from happening again, the Holy Father has condemned her."

"That's stupid." Kanda clicked his tongue, placing his chopsticks on top of the bowl. His face had the most irritated expression, ready to kill something within his reach. "You're ruining my meal." He glared at Link.

He hated to say it, but he didn't fully hate the girl he trained. If anything, he found her tolerable.

"Inspector Howard Link." Sin spoke his full name, capturing his attention. She exhaled, "So Central wishes to kill one of its exorcists that can help destroy akuma? That it was under the Holy Father's orders?" The anger she felt did not subside, rather, it seemed to accelerate. "The Holy Father is the one that holds the will of God, right? Does that mean, by condemning me, it is also God's wish? Does condemning me solve any of His problems?" She scoffed, "I may not be one to say this, but…how is it that one man, the Holy Father, able to order such a thing? Is it not human life that he treasures? Oh." She paused, before chuckling darkly, "That's right. He's just saying this to save his own skin."

"Sin Diae, watch what you say!" Link spoke sharply. From his reports on her, he did not expect to see her confront him like this. There was nothing in those reports that reported her behaviour like what he was experiencing.

"Inspector." Sin slammed her hand down on the table, making him eye her with narrow eyes, "I wondered why the previous users of this Innocence all turned against the Order. If they were treated the exact same way I am now, without any actual grounds to reason your actions, it would have been easy for them to become something that went against the Order." She paused, moving away from the table. She had calmed down a considerable lot. "You lot, not just Central, but also the Vatican and Holy Father, are afraid of something. I don't know what it is, but by killing all those involved with this Innocence of mine, means that there's something that must have happened for it to turn out this way. What it is, I don't know."

"Sin Diae…!" Link looked incredibly angry, seeing as though she insulted the Holy Father and Central.

Sin ignored him and took the glass of water she was previously drinking, chugging the whole thing down before placing it back onto the table. "If you'll excuse me." She turned on her heel, telling the guards to take her to where Komui and Cross were.

Those in the cafeteria were all silent, never having seen Sin like that. Normally she was a kind, friendly person who cared for others well and was mannered, but seeing her like this was almost scary. Her logic was sound, and her tone was frightening.

Whispers started to sound around the room, and for all of them, Sin was the centre of talk, previously replacing those who gossiped about Allen.

Allen, Lavi, Lenalee and Kanda were honestly incredibly surprised by her reaction.

"…that was a new side to her that I haven't seen before." Lavi commented, trying to break the ice. It was stiffly silent.

Lenalee grabbed Lavi's shoulders, shaking them, "Now's not the time! She's going to get executed!" She cried, tears forming around her eyes. "Sin didn't do anything wrong…! This isn't fair…!"

Allen turned to Link, giving him a dirty look, before proceeding to eat angrily.

"She still has 7 days." Kanda leaned his fist on his face. He didn't care for what the Order did because he hated it to the ends of the earth and beyond, but this particular case was peculiar.

"Komui and Cross wanted to talk to her, right?" Allen swallowed some food before talking, stabbing his fork into a piece of meat. "Do you think we could listen to what they tell her? I overheard them wanting to discuss something after the mission on the Ark."

"Good idea, Allen!" Lavi and Lenalee exclaimed, getting up.

"I will not allow—" Link interjected, but he himself got interrupted.

"LINK, YOU FINK! We have a right to know!"

Kanda clicked his tongue. "Shut it, Rouvelier's Dog." He almost spat his words. He stood up, following after the guards.

"Who knew Kanda was worried about her…" Lavi stared at the Mugen user with a surprised expression.

"Shut up! I'm not worried!" Kanda barked at the red head.

Lenalee pressed her hands together, hoping that it was all a dream. It was all too sudden. She stood up and followed Kanda.

First Allen got a watchdog, Link, to watch over him because of his supposed connection to the 14th Noah, and now Sin was going to get executed because of her Innocence.

Lenalee's Innocence had been taken away and was being kept with Hevlaska as well, so she couldn't fight even if she wanted to.

Before the news broke out that Sin was going to the death row, everyone was gossiping about Allen being in league with the Noah, as well as General Cross.

 _Things are just getting worse!_ Lenalee pressed her hands together at her chest, twaddling her thumbs in nervousness.

Lavi thought, _strange. The Holy Father himself was the one who ordered this? It's not like killing her will end a war. But…_

Lavi saw Sin's back as she disappeared into Komui's office, leaving the guards outside.

 _Seraphim must hold a secret that threatens even the Order. Hm…why don't I know anything about this?_ Lavi thought with annoyance. He was the apprentice of a Bookman, but he hadn't heard a peep about this Innocence, _they must have either kept it under locks or it was a taboo topic_.

"Stop right there! You're not allowed in!" The guards held up their spears, blocking the way.

"Guards." Link stepped forward, "Allow them in." He had given his okay for the others to do in, since if he did not, they would surely kick up a fuss that would land him in hot water.

"B-But—" One of the guards stuttered. Once he saw Link's focused gaze, he succumbed, moving to the side and removing the weapons in the way.

They went in, closing the door behind them.

"Everyone…!" Komui's eyes widened when he saw everyone there. "Why are you here?"

"We're here to listen to what you have to say to Sin." Lenalee went forward, "I want to know why Sin is getting treated this way!"

Komui stared at his sister with wide eyes before looking at the others. Sin, who stood in the middle of the room, didn't care whether or not they stayed. They were probably curious, too, so it would be beneficial for them to understand better.

"It's fine, Komui. Just let them. They'll be able to know more, too." Sin took a few steps forward.

"Alright." Komui told the others to come closer so that they could hear him. He faced Sin, since he was primarily talking to her. "Sin, you know your Innocence is called 'Seraphim', right?"

"Yes."

"I'm sure Inspector Link told you already, but it is an Innocence that is hated by God."

"Hated by God?"

Lenalee held in a gasp. Sin was unfazed, wanting to know why.

"Yes. Hevlaska told me about it, but even she didn't know everything." A pause, "I'm not too sure why, since her memories only go back from when the Order was first formed. At that time, she had heard from the Rouvelier family that Seraphim is the bane of God's existence, apart from the existence of the Noah family, and that upon discovering the accommodator, they must be killed."

"I heard about that from Inspector Link, too. But why? He said that they betrayed the Order."

"In the 100 years that Hevlaska has been alive, there were 3 times that Seraphim had been located. One when the Order was formed, the other, around 60 years after that, so about 40 years ago, and now, you. You're the third one."

"How did you know it was Seraphim? It's not like each Innocence is specifically named."

"This specific Innocence has variation of weapons, but the wings are nearly the same. That is what distinguishes it from other Innocences. That is why it has the same name."

"I see."

"That was the main reason I didn't want to send you to the battlefield. Hevlaska also thought so, and was the one who specifically requested that you do not. She requested that you stay hidden away so that you would not unlock it; but it seems you have after the mission on the Ark."

Sin pressed her lips into a thin line, finding that the information that Komui had was a little off. She didn't address it, though.

"But wouldn't it have happened anyway?" Sin questioned. "Being able to invoke wings – does that call for the end point of the accommodator's career as an exorcist?"

Komui paused for a moment, "According to Hevlaska, the more you are away from situations that cause you some form of grief, it will not manifest to be what it is to be. That being said, Seraphim is a dangerous Innocence, especially to the accommodator."

 _Is this what Mei meant?_

Sin's eyes narrowed slightly, "How so? I understand that Innocence already has a burden on the body of its accommodators, but from what you are saying, Seraphim doesn't seem to do just that."

"Sin…this may be alarming to you, but do you know the reason why your Innocence's accommodators always turn against the Order?"

"…no, I don't." She had a bad feeling about this, seeing Komui's expression twisted to one that had difficult readability.

"Seraphim is an Innocence that eats away at the mind. It will take over your body the more you use it, and destroy whatever consciousness you have left, leaving only the will of the Innocence."

"What…?" Sin breathed. The others in the room save Link, had shocked looks on their faces, for nearly the hundredth time that day. "What do you mean? Leave only the will of the Innocence?"

 _Are they talking about that voice in my head? Is that the will of the Innocence?_ Sin thought, remembering the events of the Ark, and how that other voice in her head took over her body.

"Yes. Those two accommodators that came before you, the first one was imprisoned by the Order and studied, whilst the second one had betrayed the Order and went to the Noah family for assistance."

Sin's eyes widened, her mouth going dry. She ignored those behind her, "Komui…are you saying that the Order did human experimentations on those Seraphim accommodators?!" She exclaimed.

Komui nodded. "They did. That system has long abolished after the second accommodator escaped."

"So does that mean that the second accommodator had been an exorcist, and was placed on death row, too?"

"They were."

"Then they went to the Noah family…" She gulped, knowing where this was leading. She inhaled, "…so you mean to say that I am getting killed because I am acquainted with someone from the Noah family?"

Komui nodded, a pained look on his face. He didn't like it one bit. "That is one of the reasons."

"It is precisely because of that, as well as your Innocence's previous connections, that allowed for this decision to concur." Link spoke up. Sin turned to look at him. "I am sure that you are aware the words that the Earl has spoken to you, do you not?"

"The Earl?" Lenalee and Allen's eyes widened, remembering the words of the Millennium Earl before he left with Joyd, back on the Ark.

Lavi narrowed his eyes, _what? What did the Earl say?_

"…how do you know about that?" Sin had no idea how Link came to know.

"Answer my question, Sin Diae." Link pushed past the other exorcists that he stood behind, coming up to Sin. "Did you or did you not hear 'If you wish to destroy the Order again, I will help you', from the Millennium Earl?"

 _What?!_ Lavi's eyes widened, instantly recording such a thing down in his mind. _The Earl wants to help her? But why? They themselves have no connection to each other…except…the second accommodator! That one went to the Noah family for assistance._ Lavi realised, _the Old Panda might know something!_

Komui's hands clenched into fists on his desk.

"Did you, or did you not?" Link repeated.

"…yes, I did." Sin gritted her teeth together, not liking where this was going. "However, I do not have any connections to the Earl of Millennium."

"You may not, but does that mean the same for your Innocence?" Link asked.

"What do you mean?" She shot him a puzzled look.

"That Innocence seems to remember what it hates, incredibly well." Link spoke. "Listen, Sin Diae. There is another reason that we must dispose of you."

Sin's eyes narrowed when she heard the word 'dispose', wanting to tell him that exorcists were not toys for them to use. Except, she kept her mouth shut.

"Seraphim is an Innocence that cannot become a Fallen One."


	15. Chapter 14

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #14

* * *

"What…?" Sin gasped, astounded. She did not expect such a thing to ever exist. "How…is that possible?!" She exclaimed.

Lenalee's eyes were wide as she remembered Suman Dark. She was absolutely and utterly confused as to how and why Sin's Innocence was unable to become a Fallen One.

"We do not yet know the reason." Link stood on the side, next to Komui's desk and beside Allen.

"That's all about what Hevlaska knows." Komui concluded. "That's all that I'm able to tell you."

Sin was silent, shocked. She took out her Innocence and stared at it, taking a long moment to think of a sentence, "If this Innocence is unable to become a Fallen One…that explains how they were able to betray the Order." She spoke softly, but Link was unable to hear her words.

Except, Lavi and Lenalee did.

 _Sin…!_ Lenalee worried for her friend. Not only was she going to die because she had a certain Innocence that Central and the Holy Father did not approve of, but also because of its previous connections to the Noah family, along with the history of betrayal against the Black Order.

Lavi thought for a short moment, _how is an Innocence even able to not become a Fallen One? How is that even possible? That's unheard of. Not only is Allen and Lenalee's Innocence both unusual, Sin's one is, as well. Could she possibly be the Heart?_

Lavi couldn't imagine the Heart being something that betrays the Order time and time again, but he couldn't rule out the possibility that it might be just that.

Sin chuckled, having realised something.

"What is so funny, Sin Diae?!" Link narrowed his eyes at her.

"Sin…?" Komui spoke, uncertainty in his voice.

"I now understand. I said before, didn't I? That Central and the Holy Father were afraid of something." Sin recalled the incident just before in the cafeteria, "I guess this is what it is. An ally that, at the same time, is also an enemy. One that you cannot distinguish to be on your side or not. One that, out of fear, you all choose to kill, without even knowing its stance."

"Sin Diae! You will not insult the Holy Father or Central any—"

"But I'm right, aren't I?" Sin interrupted. He shut up, confirming that Sin's theories were true. She sighed, "I wouldn't blame them if they were afraid of something like that. I do think all of this is absurd, but who am I to talk? I'm just a measly exorcist." She chuckled lightly, shaking her head.

"Sin…!" Lenalee grabbed her hand, holding it tightly. She stared at her for a long while.

Sin just smiled at her. She understood Lena's worries, knowing that she probably worried more so than she did at this point.

 _Lenalee…_ Sin's eyes glazed over as she saw the tears that were about to fall.

It's said an eye speaks more than words, in which case, Lenalee's silence, could be seen as an attachment to Sin, who she viewed as an older sister figure and good friend, and her unwillingness to allow such a horrible thing to happen to her.

Sin's blue irises flickered to the others. Allen and Lavi's eyes told her all she needed to know; they were on the same boat as Lenalee. Kanda, on the other hand, had an annoyed expression, glaring at Link at the side of his eye.

 _Haha…he looks as angry as always._

Sin stared at the desk in front of her. She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts about this whole situation that she just fell silent.

 _So I'm being put to death, huh…_ at this point, when she realised it, she didn't want to. She never wanted to die; there were so many things that she still wanted to do.

 _I still haven't spoken to Tyki since the incident in the Ark…and I still haven't found a cure for Eeez's illness. I haven't found out the reason that Mei takes over my body, nor have I found out the whole story of my Innocence, and why it's like this. I still haven't settled things back in China…_

Sin's eyes narrowed as she frowned slightly. _There are still so many things I want to do! What should I do? I don't want to die!_ Her chest constricted. She placed a hand on her chest, bunching up the cardigan that she wore.

 _ **Why don't you just escape to the Noah like the one who came before you?**_

 _Mei. You were right. Did you know this would happen to me?_ Sin ignored her question completely.

… _ **yeah, I did. The Holy Father, the Vatican, the Order…they have been like this for many, many years.**_

 _Is it also true that this Innocence eats away at my mind?_

 _ **Don't believe everything that they say.**_

 _What?_ Sin blinked out of her trance like state, confused. _Is Mei saying that they're wrong? But how? How does Mei know?_

"Sin…" Lenalee spoke her name softly, catching her attention.

"Lena." The Older Chinese girl spoke. She saw Lenalee trembling, her hands shaking even when they were holding onto hers. With a warm smile, Sin placed a hand on Lenalee's head, caressing her. "It's alright." She said soothingly.

Looking up, the Dark Boots user's tears fell down her face, seeing the smile that was on her friend's lips. "No, it's not!"

"This situation could be worse," Sin laughed lightly, putting no heart behind it, "At least it isn't tomorrow."

 _That's way too positive!_ Lavi, Allen, Kanda and Komui thought with shocked, sweating expressions.

"But Sin—"

"I'll take care of this. Don't worry." Sin ruffled her hair and let go of her hand, turning to Komui. "Komui, did Cross want to see me?"

"OI! PIPSQUEAK!"

Sin nearly jumped five feet in the air when she heard Kanda shout. She robotically turned her head to face him, seeing his irritable expression yet again. Everyone was staring at him.

"K-Kanda…?" Sin squeaked, feeling her ears ringing.

"Are you just going to accept your death just like that?!" He snapped, giving her a death glare.

A shiver went up her spine, "W-What?"

"Tch! So you're just accepting it?!"

"Kanda, calm down!" Lenalee tried.

Sin realised that Kanda was telling her to fight. She laughed lightly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"What the hell is so funny?!"

Sin turned to him with a knowing smile, "I'm happy for your concern, Kanda." She paused, but before Kanda could retort and snap at her, she spoke again, "But, we'll see how this plays out." Her eyes flickered to Allen's, "I might just throw out a royal flush."

Allen's eyes widened, knowing the double meaning behind those words. His mouth opened in astonishment, but he closed it back up, knowing that if he said something here, it wouldn't do any good in Sin's situation.

"Hmph! Do what you want!" Kanda stomped out of the room, having heard enough. He slammed the door strongly behind him.

"I'll need to fix the door again…" Komui sighed, seeing the smoke coming off it, as well as the cracks at the corners.

"After you talk to Cross, we'll take you to Central." Link added after a moment, "Do not think about using your Innocence. If you do, your sentence will be pushed forward."

"I won't, Inspector Link. You can trust me on that." Sin just smiled at him.

 _Not unless it's absolutely necessary._

 _ **What are you planning now?**_

 _It won't be a secret if I told you._

 _ **Fine.**_

"Cross is in another room." Komui informed. "The guards will escort you there." He turned to Allen, "You're forbidden to talk to Cross, so if you plan on going, you will keep quiet. Is that fine with you, Inspector?" Komui turned to Link for confirmation.

Link had a brooding look but gave in, "Fine. Just this time."

Allen glanced at Sin, seeing her with a nonchalant look on her face, staring off into the distance.

 _Is she going to be okay…?_

* * *

"Hah?! Why is my stupid pupil here, too?! Only women will be allowed in here!" Cross demanded, waving his glass of wine around at the guards.

Those coming in sweat dropped, but didn't leave.

Cross shooed all the guards out of the room, telling them to wait outside or go buy some expensive wine. Lavi, Lenalee and Allen were there, along with Link, who was watching from the side.

"You wanted to speak with me, General Cross?" Sin questioned, walking in front of him.

He was sitting on a comfortable couch, just drinking. Lavi, Lenalee and Allen stood a few feet away, not wanting to interfere with what they were talking about.

"Yeah." Cross poured another glass, handing it over to Sin. "Let's have a drink, shall we?"

Sin wasn't particularly a drinker, but she did it on social occasions when the situation called for it. Currently, she didn't feel the need to stomach it.

Shaking her head, she declined. "No thank you, General."

Cross looked at her face before setting it down, patting the seat next to him. "Sit down, then."

"Still trying to flirt with her?! Even when she's about to be imprisoned for no good reason?!" Allen was fuming, with Lavi and Lenalee trying to calm him down.

"It's fine, General. Let's just cut to the chase." She wanted to get to the point quickly.

Cross bore silent for a moment, before chuckling, "Alright." He took a sip of wine, swirling it around his glass, "Komui must have spoken about the previous accommodator, right?"

"Yes, he did."

"The one who came before you, was involved with the Noah family. But, they were killed by the Order in the end."

"What are you getting at?"

"The user who was used by the Order for human experimentations because their Innocence was like that of an angel—was also killed, but because of the experiments. All the previous Seraphim accommodators that the Order got their hands on have died by their hands."

"Are you implying that I will also be killed by them?"

"If things stay the way it is now, that is."

"…Cross, what is it that you really wanted to tell me?"

"You're as sharp as ever, Sin. I'm still offended you forgot about me."

"Master?! Sin's met my Master before?!" Allen's jaw dropped to the ground.

"I'm sorry, General. I don't recall our meeting." Sin apologized.

"That's fine. It was a very, very long time ago. You were probably 10 or 12." Cross reminisced, "Around the time you went to Europe for a ball."

Sin's eyes widened at Cross's words. Her eyes narrowed. "How do you know about that?"

"I was there, obviously. We even had a little chat. You said you loved my red hair." Cross shrugged, taking another sip.

"WHAT?!" Allen screamed in his corner. Lavi and Lenalee tried to calm him down.

Sin opened her mouth then closed it, unable to fight back. She remembered, when she attended that ball, she saw someone with red hair like Cross's, and complimented them on their hair. They even danced together, but she didn't remember who it was.

Sin's jaw dropped when she realised that it was indeed Cross. She covered her face in her hands and turned away, feeling humiliated. "I didn't realise that was _you_!"

"So you _do_ remember!" Cross bellowed out in laughter, slapping his knee.

"Cut the small talk!" Link snapped.

Sin sent him a helpless look, and Cross glared at him for getting in his way of having fun.

"Fine." Cross motioned for Sin to come closer. She did. He motioned even further. She leaned down, wondering what was up. He smelled like wine.

"What is it, General?" She questioned.

"Sin." Cross spoke her name quietly, so that only the two of them could hear. Sin glanced at him from the side of her eye, noticing the change in tone as well.

"Do not get consumed by it. If you do, all that you care about will be lost."

 _What?_ Sin blinked when she felt something warm against her cheek, pulling away almost immediately. She touched her cheek, seeing Cross bellow out in laughter once again.

"MASTERRRR!" Sin could hear Allen's screams in the corner, with Link telling him to shut up.

 _He kissed me…_ Sin realised. However, even though embarrassment welled up inside of her, she didn't show it, forcing it down. She was never used to things like these, and was good at hiding what she felt in those situations, especially in the presence of those of authority.

"That's all I've got to say to you, Sin." Cross smiled, drinking the rest of his glass. "Do come visit me again sometime before your execution."

Sin pressed her lips into a thin line, nodding slowly. Slowly, she exited the room, with the others following behind.

"What did Cross say to you?" Link asked, wanting to see if she had any useful information.

"That's for you to find out and me to keep." Sin placed a finger to her lips, low-key telling him that she won't be telling him.

Lavi observed the woman. He knew that she had a lot of secrets, but he didn't know what. _What was with that 'a ball in Europe'? What did Cross tell her?_

Lavi sighed, _that's why I'll keep observing her. What's she going to do about that death sentence, too? What did she mean by 'royal flush'? Is she going to escape?_

 _Wait. If she does happen to escape, wouldn't the Order consider her a heretic and hunt her down, trying to kill her? She won't have anywhere to hide!_ Lavi hummed a long, unsure note. He sighed, _this is complicated._

"Sin Diae, guards will be assigned to you until we take you to Central." Link informed. The guards that stood in front of Cross's room nodded. Some of them weren't originally there, and had followed them from the cafeteria.

Three of them surrounded Sin. "Should we take her back to Central, now?"

Link stared at her for a very long moment, eyes narrowing as he did so. "No, not yet. Even if she says that she will not use her Innocence, we can't believe the empty words of a heretic."

"Heretic…?" Sin stared at him like he was crazy. She looked off to the side. It was incredibly disrespectful, but she didn't want to cause too much of a fuss over name calling.

"Yes, sir!" The guards saluted.

"Sin Diae, you will stay here so that we may supervise you." Link concluded. There was a lot currently going on, so amid the chaos there was a chance that she may escape. He didn't want to take any chances.

Sin didn't respond.

She wasn't accepting her death, nor was she accepting anything of the current unfortunate situation.

 _I want to talk to Tyki…_ the thought that popped into her head made her feel sad, as she didn't know whether or not she would be able to see him again.

 _I've got so much to live for right now…_ She looked around, seeing Lenalee, Lavi and Allen. The other exorcists, too, and the science teams of both HQ and the Asia branch, her family back in China, and those who were not affiliated with any of them.

 _I want to live. But what can I do, when this Innocence has cursed me so the Order will hunt me?_

* * *

" _ **Joyd. It's been a long time."**_

" _ **How many years has it been?"**_

Tyki could feel a burning sensation in his head, causing it to throb painfully, as if trying to remember something. But, although he could remember something, he couldn't recall it. He could only feel a form of despair.

 _Who…is she…?_

" _ **Tyki, please don't hate me because I'm an exorcist."**_

The Noah knew exactly whose voice it was, different from the first voice. Those words that were spoken, he didn't know when she had said that to him, but he knew for sure, she had said those particular words.

" _ **I don't hate you, Tyki. I will never be able to."**_

He heard a sob, then silence. His cheek tingled, as if it had been touched, but there was nobody around him, nothing except blackness.

 _Where, are you?_

"You were dreaming, Tyki." Road, who sat on a chair beside his bed, looked over to the male, who had just opened his eyes.

Tyki looked up at the ceiling, feeling cold sweat on his forehead. He turned to look at Road, seeing her place a book down by the bedside table. She stood up, leaning over to Tyki.

"You're awake." She stated with a small smile.

Tyki sat up, feeling somewhat disoriented. He placed a hand to his forehead, then pushed his hair back, which he found to be long. He stared at it with a funny expression, not remembering growing it out.

"Tyki, how are you feeling?" Road asked.

The male placed his hand down onto the covers, "I heard her voice." He said quietly, almost hesitantly.

"Her voice?" Road wondered, "Who's?"

"Sin's and…another person's. She called me 'Joyd'." Tyki wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Road's eyes widened, then they narrowed slightly.

 _How does that person know the name 'Joyd'?_

She placed a smile on her lips, wanting to tease him about hearing Sin's voice. "What did Sin say to you? You heard her voice, right?"

Tyki looked over at Road, raising an eyebrow. From her tone of voice it sounded like she really wanted to know. "I only heard her voice. She…" He trailed off, not wanting to tell Road about what he heard.

"She told him to not hate her because she was an exorcist, Lero!" Lero had come into the room, followed by the Earl, whose teeth shone like there was no tomorrow.

Tyki's eye twitched. _Lero knows?!_

"Oh?!" Road's eyes widened as she grabbed Lero, shaking it, "Anything else?!" She sounded like an excited little girl getting her toys for the first time.

"She told him she will never hate him, Lero!"

Tyki exhaled tiredly, finding that the cat was out of the bag.

 _Way to tell everybody about it,_ Tyki thought with annoyance.

"Oh!" Road clapped her hands with glee. "That's so cute!"

The Millennium Earl laughed, "Tyki-pon, do you remember anything from what happened at the Ark?"

"Hm?" Tyki thought for a moment, recalling Allen slicing through him with his Innocence and stabbing him. "…only until the boy cut me."

"I see. He helped awaken your inner Noah, Tyki-pon." The Earl, even though he was already smiling, smiled wider.

"Inner Noah?" Tyki questioned. He disliked the pet name that the Earl called him, but he felt too tired to correct him on it.

"Yes. Part of you was suppressing it. How lovely, that it has awakened." The Earl sounded happy.

"Ah…okay…" Tyki didn't really know how to express what he thought currently.

"On a side note…your awakening also awoke the Innocence that slumbered within that girl, Sin."

Tyki looked at the Earl with wide eyes, confused and surprised at why Sin was mentioned.

"Didn't she already have an Innocence?" Tyki thought back, but he didn't remember seeing her use it when they encountered.

"Yes." The Earl paused, "But this is a special Innocence. While you were in your awakened form, you fought with that awakened form of hers."

"I fought Sin?!" Tyki exclaimed, shocked. He didn't remember any of this!

"Not really her, but rather the memory from inside that Innocence." The Earl corrected.

"O-oh…"

"Ah, it's been a while since I have seen that Innocence." The Earl chuckled, "If all goes according to plan, the Order will reject her, just like they did in the past with every other one of them."

Tyki's brows met in confusion. "What do you mean?" The Earl was being cryptic.

 _Isn't that bad for Sin?_ Tyki questioned himself.

Road, who knew of the previous Seraphim user, giggled, "Tyki, that girl that you like so much, once the Order finds out that she's the accommodator of Seraphim, they'll do anything to get rid of her, just like they did to the last one that appeared."

Tyki looked at Road, raising an eyebrow. "Why? Don't they use Innocence to fight us? What a dumb idea."

Road patted her uncle's bare back, "But then if she doesn't need the Order, she can come to us!"

"What?" Tyki shot her a strange look, incredibly puzzled. "Isn't Innocence the enemy here?"

"Not exactly. Seraphim is a little different." The Earl laughed, rubbing his belly. His eyes gleamed behind his glasses, "Do you want to hear a story?"

Tyki blinked a couple of times, those words registering slowly in his mind. "O-okay…?"

Road smiled and grabbed a seat for the Earl, allowing him to sit down, before she sat down herself. She looked at Tyki, then hopped off her seat to get him a shirt, as he was shirtless. She dug through the drawers and found a long sleeved shirt, which she threw at Tyki for him to wear.

"Thanks."

"Let's start from the Seraphim users before Sin, shall we?"

* * *

"Old man!" Lavi slammed open the door to his shared room with Bookman. Bookman had come back to that room to look over some newspapers, until his apprentice had barged in.

"What, Lavi?" He asked.

"Tell me about Seraphim!" Lavi closed the door and stood in front of the old man.

Bookman's eyes widened, "How do you know about Seraphim?" He demanded.

"So you _do_ know about it!" Lavi placed his hands on the man's shoulders, before getting kicked into the wall, adding to his injuries.

"Ow…"

"…why do you want to know about such a thing?" Bookman narrowed his eyes at Lavi.

"Sin's going to be executed for having that Innocence!" Lavi exclaimed, "She has 7 days!"

Hearing that girl's name sparked an interest in Bookman, but also pity. He sat down, pressing his sleeves together. "Lavi, you are only in the Order to record events. Don't involve your personal feelings."

Lavi clenched his teeth, but knew that as a Bookman, he had to do just that. "Tell me about Seraphim, please."

Bookman stared at Lavi for a very long time, before sighing. "If you really want to know, I'll tell you."

"Really?!"

"I will only say this once." Bookman warned. Lavi nodded, sitting down as well. He listened intently.

"When I was recording history in the Noah clan, there was an exorcist that came to them for shelter and assistance. She had betrayed the Order after they tried to claim her life, and was the then accommodator for Seraphim. She was tolerated by the Noah, but they were not on close terms as each of them would be wary of an exorcist living with them." Bookman paused, "However, she was closer to the 14th Noah and the Earl. The Earl and her shared similar goals, and thus was able to work together. While in refuge with the Noah, the accommodator was able to unlock a portion of power that the Seraphim user before her did not, but it ate her mind, and the longer she used it, the less she was herself. In the end, her plan failed, and she was killed by the Order. I do not know the exact one who killed her, but found that she died the same way as the one before her."

Lavi thought for a moment, having expected some of this information already. "I already knew that the previous accommodator was acquainted with the Noah. But what about the ones before the formation of the Black Order?"

Bookman looked out the window. "The information about Seraphim before the Black Order is near impossible to come across. But by being in the presence of all the Seraphim that had lived in the time of the Black Order, I can say that it is easier for them to die than to live."

Lavi raised a brow, "How so?"

"Those cursed by Seraphim are cursed by the world and God. It takes a tremendous amount of willpower and reserve to be able to live like this. Sin will be no exception."

"I still don't get what made it this way! Doesn't the Bible say that Seraphim are angels that are closest to God?"

Bookman was silent for a moment. He turned back to Lavi, seeing him with an unsatisfactory expression. "Even for me, as a Bookman, I do not have the full grasp of what Seraphim truly is. The only one who will know is most likely the accommodator themselves."

Lavi frowned slightly, finding that he didn't get too much from Bookman. _Since the Earl before had tried to help Seraphim's accommodator destroy the Order, that would explain why he asked Sin this time, too._

"Ah. Old man, Hevlaska gave a prophecy to Sin, didn't she?" Lavi thought for a moment, recalling it from his memory files, "She said her Innocence will become a 'Limiter'." He remembered Komui mentioning it once. He cocked his head to the right, stroking his invisible beard, "What does that mean?"

"Seraphim, to become a Limiter?" Bookman stared at the pile of books on his bed, "That's not possible."

"What do you mean?"

"Rather than a Limiter, it is an Innocence of destruction." Bookman recalled an event where he himself was nearly killed by the previous accommodator having gone mad.

"Innocence of destruction? Then why did Hevlaska mention it being a Limiter, then?" He thought. Lavi couldn't arrive at an answer, so he stood up, stretching lightly, before heading to the door. "Thanks, Old man."

When Lavi left, Bookman just stood there, recalling the days in which the previous accommodator would become mad, slowly, day by day. It was something frightening, even more so if closest to them to see the mad expression on their face.

* * *

"That was only spanning back 100 years, though." The Earl sipped his cup of tea, one that an akuma maid had brought them.

"They were pretty interesting, actually. It's like they were crazy." Road had a sundae, and picked off the candied cherries on top. "It wouldn't be a surprise if Sin became like that too."

Tyki kept his current silence. As much as he hated to admit it, it seemed like Sin wouldn't get a happy ending at all.

 _Of all people, why her?_ Tyki thought with a sigh. He fell back into bed and pulled the covers up to his neck, facing the other Noah.

"Are you sulking, Tyki?" Road asked, spooning some ice cream.

"…no." He looked away.

"Tyki-pon, you're a bad liar." Earl commented with a laugh. He placed his cup down onto the side table, "If you want to save her, I give you my permission to."

Tyki sat up abruptly, eyes wide. He stared at the Earl as if he was crazy, "What?!"

"You heard the Earl, Tyki!" Road grinned, loving the sweetness from the sundae. "Or would you rather she die, instead?"

"But it's not like we know what the Order's planned." Tyki wasn't totally against the idea, but he felt that it wouldn't be a good thing all in the same, as that would mean an even worse situation for his friend.

"Lulubell is going to collect the egg." The Earl of Millennium chuckled, "We'll know soon enough. I can keep a lookout for her with my akuma."

Tyki wondered if this was a good idea. _Just because the previous accommodator sided with the Noah that doesn't mean the one now will!_

"Why do you want to help her?" Tyki questioned, genuinely curious. They didn't really know her, nor did they have much of a connection to her either, apart from her Innocence.

"It's because the Order deems her Innocence dangerous to them. It's always been like this, since a very, very long time ago." The Earl explained. "If we have her on our side, she would surely be a good asset against the Order to turn the tide of the war."

He stood up. An akuma maid instantly came over, and he placed his cup of tea on it. Road had just finished the sundae in astonishing time, placing an empty cup on the tray.

"Well, there are some things we need to sort out, so if you'll excuse us…" The Earl headed off with Road on his trail.

"It must be hard on Tyki, finding out what he thought was a human friend, was an exorcist." Road mused, skipping to catch up next to the Earl.

"Indeed so." The Earl sighed, knowing of Tyki's fondness towards his human friends.

"Is Lulubell already there?" Road questioned, changing the topic.

"Yes, she is. She should be doing her job well." The Earl clapped his hands together lightly, happy that the infiltration was going to work.

Road laughed, "Serves them right for taking the egg."

* * *

"Hevlaska, the reason the cube is like that is because of Sin, isn't it?" Komui questioned. He held a clipboard in hand, and had gone down to talk to Hevlaska. He was hoping to get more of an understanding on what exactly happens when Sin's Innocence activates—more specifically, when her wings are also invoked.

"Yes, Komui." Hevlaska replied, leaning down to the Chief's height. "It seems that whenever she uses those wings, the cube reacts. That is how I am able to know when she does."

"Did this happen with the previous accommodators as well?" Komui asked.

The giant exorcist nodded slowly. "Yes. But, the intensity for which the cube reacted, is strongest in Sin."

Komui raised a brow, "Do you know why that is so?"

"I'm sorry, Komui, I don't know any more than this." Hevlaska apologized.

"It's fine. You've given me enough information, Hevlaska." Komui smiled.

 _Hevlaska's memory only goes back 100 years, so anything before that, we don't know. It doesn't help that the records that should have been kept, was destroyed, and by Central no less. Seraphim is also an Innocence which cannot become a Fallen One, which is unprecedented. Is this also why it's been kept under wraps?_ Komui's mind tried to connect and reason, but there were too many holes that he was unable to.

He headed back up to the higher levels, thinking about what to do. He saw Sin with the guards that she was assigned; they had just finished putting handcuffs on her, placing the keys in their pocket.

 _Sin!_ Komui headed over. He knew that he didn't have the authority to be able to retract the execution, so he didn't know what to do. He hadn't faced a situation like this before.

"Eh? Komui?" Sin had just finished checking out the handcuffs, finding that they were heavy, metallic and annoying. She didn't like them, but she couldn't do anything about them.

"Sin! I thought they were bringing you to Central!" Komui said.

Sin smiled small and shook her head, a helpless look on her face. "Not yet, they say. Link said that I'm going to stay here so that he can keep an eye on me so that I don't do anything. He said it'll be too dangerous to leave me alone without anyone watching me." She laughed lightly, but there was no humour in it at all.

Komui could only manage a, "O-okay…"

"I guess I'll be spending my days in solitude. I can't really communicate with the others because they're incredibly weary of me, or are too busy." Sin stared at the handcuffs, which were rectangular in shape. She rested her arms, "So, what—"

"ENEMY ATTACK! ATTENTION ALL EXORCISTS AND BLACK ORDER PERSONNEL! AKUMA IN LAB FIVE! TWO EXORCISTS ARE CURRENTLY DOING BATTLE WITH THE INTRUDERS. GENERALS AND EXORCISTS, REPORT TO GATE 3 OF THE ARK IMMEDIATELY. NOISE MARIE, MIRANDA LOTTO, REPORT TO GATE 3 AT ONCE! ALL FINDER UNITS TO YOUR STATIONS!" The golems that flew all around them began screaming, urgency in their voices.

"Akuma?!" Sin gasped. "Lab five is where the science division is!" She imagined Johnny, Reever, and all the other scientists, as well as Bak, who went there to help, too.

"You will not be joining the battle, Sin Diae!" The guards shouted, surrounding her.

She clenched her teeth, "No! There are akuma! I need to help them!" She cried.

Komui pressed his lips together, remembering Hevlaska's words on the nature of her Innocence.

 _It will continue to eat away at her mind the more she uses it,_ Komui clenched his hands into fists.

"Take her away to somewhere safe, guards." Komui instructed them.

"Komui?!" Sin exclaimed. Her arms were grabbed by the guards, pulling her along as she struggled, looking over her shoulder at the Chief. "Komui! I can help them! Why can't you trust me?!"

"It's not that I don't trust you, Sin. I just don't want to put you in any more danger than you are already in." Komui turned around.

"Komui…!" Sin was dragged away into a room.

 _Many people are already injured! If there are any more casualties…!_ Sin gritted her teeth, remembering Link's words if she tried to activate her Innocence and use it.

"I don't care about that anymore!" She shouted out.

Using what she learnt from Kanda, she kicked one of the guards in the groin, smashing the handcuffs in his face, knocking him out. The other guards were knocked out in the same way, some teeth and blood resulting from that.

She wiped her face, smearing the blood that had gone onto it, and quickly invoked, activating her winged Innocence.

 _Please, go as fast as you can, Innocence!_ She begged. As if abiding by her wish, she sped out at astonishing speed, zooming past people and heading to where the science lab was.

"What was that whoosh of wind just now?!" A few of the guards mumbled to each other.

Komui glanced over to the room in which Sin was taken to, but saw that it was open, catching a glimpse of the inside, where several guards were knocked unconscious. His eyes widened as he realised what the girl had just done.

 _Sin…you would go to such lengths?!_ He clenched his teeth, before someone bumped into him. He looked down, seeing it was Lenalee, with Lavi following her. He threw both of them both into a room with the nurse and some others, wishing that they wouldn't go out to fight, considering one of them had their Innocence broken, and the other wasn't able to invoke at all.

"Please…" Komui almost begged.

* * *

Sin's eyes widened at the huge blockage that stood in the way of her going to lab five. She tried to get through, but was unable to. Quickly, she hurried to where she knew the Ark to be, knowing that the Ark would be able to transport her to where she needed to go.

 _I don't care if Link places my sentences even earlier! If I can save the life of those who have helped me, then that is fine!_ She flew as fast as she could, before arriving at the Ark. She ignored those who caught sight of her in handcuffs, and went into the Ark, not caring about those who shouted at her.

 _Where?!_ She searched through the Ark, seeing the rooms labelled with where they would go. She flew around, trying to find the one she needed, before finally spotting it. She pulled it open awkwardly, before heading through.

Immediately after entering, she could smell the incredible odour of rotting akuma carcasses, making her cough at the extremeness of it. It was hard to get used to, but as she did, she heard laughter in the distance, and a scream that made her Innocence stop invoking, forcing her to fall to the ground.

 _My ears…!_ Sin couldn't even place her hands near her ears as she hit the ground.

 _ **Don't worry.**_

Her Innocence activated by itself, becoming large enough to cover her ears. Sin breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the disorientation hit her afterwards, causing her to nearly trip from being so unbalanced.

Between the feathers of the wings, she saw the destruction that was lab five. There were dead akuma everywhere, and dead people, too. A lump formed in her throat when she recognised the faces. She saw exorcists, but they were not fighting. They were trying to stop the effects of the scream.

 _Where did that scream come from…?_ Sin looked around, trying to find the source.

It had already stopped, but when she heard a loud thump to her side, she looked over, seeing Tiedoll in front of a being that had a pentacle on its forehead, a halo and wings. It looked like it was having fun, having just landed in front of the General.

 _So the Generals are here too! That explains why the akuma are so quickly gone!_ Sin realised. She saw that where Tiedoll was, there was a garden like place, with many scientists underneath the trees. It glowed a light green, signifying it was Innocence.

It wasn't until the haloed creature punched the ground did the whole place explode out in flames and destruction. Sin gasped at its firepower. Her wings came away from her ears and grew larger, surrounding her in a sphere like shape as if for a defence tactic.

"Ah!" Sin felt a strong thump while in the sphere, knowing that something had hit her. It was probably rubble, but she felt fine.

 _I never knew the wings could be a defence mechanism, too!_ Sin thought. Another pair of wings, becoming two thirds the size of the first pair, grew, allowing her to fly in the air.

She felt intense heat when her first pair of wings came away from the sphere shape. She gasped when she saw the area underneath her – it was a raging inferno that singed her skin.

She spotted the creature with a halo right in the middle of it, smiling from the destruction that it had done.

 _That…! That thing…!_

 _ **That's an akuma, Sin.**_

"Akuma…" She felt a lump form in her throat. "Since when did akuma have this much strength?! Lab five is destroyed!"

Some people shouted something that Sin couldn't hear, prompting the akuma to go over and destroy them, too, with them shouting that it was an act of betrayal.

Sin flew forward, following the steps of the akuma. She saw that it stopped at the entrance of lab five, and she immediately knew what it was going to do.

"STOP!" She heard Allen's voice, and looked up to where he was, seeing him trying to reach out. Link was next to him, with a shocked expression when he saw Sin.

"SIN DIAE!" He roared, just as the akuma destroyed the entrance.

Sin sent an apologetic smile towards Allen, before looking at Link once, then flying to follow the akuma, going at top speed.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!" She shouted, swerving the corner as she did so.

"Oh? You're fast." The akuma commented. Sin was shocked at how young it sounded, but with that much destructive power, she felt unnerved.

Sin stared down at her hands, knowing that she couldn't use her Innocence.

 _I can't use my Innocence! Argh! What am I going to do?!_

 _ **Your wings can become a weapon if you want them to be.**_

Before Sin could ask what Mei meant, the first pair of wings, the largest ones, morphed to become blades of Innocence, similar to feather blades. As her second pair allowed her flight, the first pair threw blades at the akuma.

"Even my wings don't do that!" The akuma laughed and dodged, before seeing a heap of guards stopping it at the foyer, armed with shields.

Sin stopped her offensive at the akuma, seeing the guards. She didn't want to hit them, so the only choice she had was to become faster than it and knock it out of the way.

"Please, let me make it…!" Sin gasped, shooting forward. She managed to get as fast as the akuma, then faster, stopping in front of the guards.

"SIN?!" It was Komui's voice.

She shot the blades at the akuma, with all of them missing except one, which stabbed it right in the leg. But that didn't slow it down. With only its bare hands, the akuma sliced its way through both Sin and the guards, heading to where the Chief was. It pulled out the blade and muttered that it hated Innocence.

Sin gasped, feeling the cut to the side of her leg pulse through her body. She looked down, seeing the blood oozing out of it.

 _It's a deep cut…!_ She winced when she moved it slightly. She pulled off her cardigan and wrapped it around her leg, trying to stop the bleeding. _It hurts…!_ She felt sweat pouring down her forehead and back, her palms sweaty.

 _I can't stop now…!_ She turned to where Komui was, seeing Kanda defend him from the akuma. However, he didn't have his Innocence, because Mugen was getting repaired.

"Ow…" Blood dripped down Sin's leg as she readied herself for another firing round, forming a gun with her fingers before aiming at the akuma, getting it in its other leg. It screamed out, taking out the blade and throwing it to the ground.

That timing gave those who weren't injured, a chance to place it in a talisman, stopping its movements. Sin flew over to where Komui and Kanda, and Choaji, who she didn't see before, were. She floated above the ground, knowing that it wouldn't do her any good if she stepped down now.

The akuma began to laugh. It sounded almost like it knew what it was doing, and with a knowing smile, no less.

"What _is_ that akuma, Komui?!" Sin exclaimed.

"That's a level 4." Kanda replied to her, throwing away the sword that had cracked, getting a new one. He glanced at her for a moment, seeing that she was bleeding quite badly, and she was getting paler.

 _Level 4?!_ Sin thought, inhaling sharply. _That explains why it's so strong!_

"Stay back, Komui." Kanda spoke.

"Kanda! Stop!" Chaoji exclaimed.

"You don't have your Innocence!" Komui held his shoulder, which was bleeding due to the level 4's attack.

"I'll make do, don't worry." Kanda spoke nonchalantly, which worried even Sin.

" _ **Komui…can you hear me?"**_

Sin looked over to Komui, hearing the voice of Hevlaska.

" _ **Come to me, Komui. I will distract the level 4. Take the Innocence from inside me and flee with your people! The Ark still has a portal that connects to the Asia branch. Take your people there! Your position here is no longer tenable. As long as you have Innocence, you can rebuild. Komui!"**_

Komui inhaled deeply, before holding a wireless that he spoke to, directed at everyone. "Section leaders! Listen up! I won't repeat this! Evacuate all headquarters personnel to the Asia branch through portal 3 of the Ark! Don't waste time on the dead or missing. We have two priorities—protecting the Innocence and avoiding annihilation. You have your orders! Now go!"

Sin's stomach dropped. They were going to retreat? Her mouth opened in shock, before it closed again, seeing Komui preoccupied with ordering the people around the Order.

 _Even if we retreat, the Earl will make more of these level 4's and more people will die! But, if we all die here, then it's even worse! If only I was able to use my Innocence! These stupid handcuffs!_ Sin shook her head quickly, pressing her handcuffed hands to her face. She clenched her fists, feeling tears come to her eyes. She flew near the ground and tried to smash the handcuffs, but to no avail. It only made her wrists bleed.

She stared at them before remembering when Mei controlled her body. However, she then recalled Komui's words; that her Innocence would take over her mind the longer she used it.

Sin narrowed her eyes slightly and flew higher into the air, wondering if she was really losing it. She pressed her lips together when her eyes landed on the akuma stopped by the talismans.

 _I don't care anymore. Mei! Can you do something about this situation?!_

 _ **You want me to voluntarily take over? Why should I do that? I hate the Order.**_

 _Please! I beg you! Remember what Komui said?! That my mind will be taken over by the Innocence?! That's you, isn't it, Mei?!_

… _ **it seems you've figured it out. How did you know?**_

 _You're able to control the Innocence! You're the one that takes over my body—both times involuntarily, because you needed to save me! I've been thinking…and that's the conclusion I've come up with! You need to save me so that you can take over my body!_

 _ **That sounds like something out of a novel,**_ Mei laughed, _**fine. I will help. You know what this means, don't you? Your will start to lose your sanity even more, now.**_

 _No, I won't. I will stop you. I won't let that happen!_

… _ **suit yourself.**_

Kanda noticed in the side of his eye, Sin's black hair had become half silver, and her eyes had become red. His eyes widened slightly at the sight, wondering what the heck was happening. He then saw her fly up higher, before coming back down to smash the handcuffs, which became warped in shape.

" _ **Huh. What the hell are these things made of? Even I can't break them properly."**_ Mei stared at the handcuffs, seeing them in a strange shape.

She looked at Kanda, Choaji and Komui, who were staring at her with wide eyes.

" _ **What? Don't give me those looks."**_

"You're…!" Choaji gasped, remembering the fight with Joyd.

"You're not Sin, are you?" Komui asked, covering the wireless.

Mei's brows jumped as she laughed lightly, " _ **No, I'm not. Don't worry, she's currently watching all the events from inside. I'm just taking over so that doesn't kill herself accidently."**_

" _ **Komui! Hurry! Rouvelier is bringing Lenalee here!"**_ Hevlaska spoke to Komui through the wireless.

Komui held a look of shock.

" _ **Rouvelier…!"**_ Mei growled through her lips. _**"Once I'm done with this piece of shit I'll be dealing with him…"**_ She looked to the level 4, seeing it crack the talisman it was in.

" _ **Shall I take care of it?"**_ Mei stretched her fingers, her first pair of wings forming into that of even bigger blades, ones that began to glow red.

"No! You evacuate!" Komui ordered, heading to the elevator that went to the lower chambers.

" _ **Hah?"**_ Mei turned to Komui with a surprised expression, seeing Kanda and Chaoji go after him. She sighed and flew to where they were, following Komui.

"What are you doing?! You were ordered to evacuate, all of you!" Komui berated Kanda, Choaji and Mei, who had come with him.

" _ **Hey. I don't act under orders for anyone but myself, and sometimes Sin, too. She doesn't want you all to get hurt. If anything, my wings can shield you all."**_ Mei explained, flying down to the elevator. She only stood on one leg, knowing that the other one was currently unusable. " _ **Tch. Damn leg."**_

" _ **Hurry, Komui! Take the Innocence and Cube from within me! Lenalee…Rouvelier is bringing her here…!"**_ Hevlaska spoke to Komui again.

 _Mei! Why don't you go get the Innocence first? You're faster than the elevator!_ Sin suggested.

" _ **Oi, Komui. Sin suggested that I get the Innocence first."**_

Komui slammed his hand down, starting up the elevator. Komui didn't answer as they went down.

Mei glanced up, seeing the level 4 coming at them with incredible speed. She laughed, " **Oh, this is going to be fun."**

"It's coming." Kanda readied his sword.

The level 4 pulled its hand out, a ball of energy forming, aimed for the elevator. Mei spread out her wings, covering Komui, Kanda, Chaoji and the Finders, waiting for impact. When it hit, the elevator toppled over, sending them to the ground with aggravating force.

Mei clicked her tongue when she hit the ground, feeling something stuck in her back. She undid the sphere ball, letting her wings go back to a normal size, looking over her shoulder to check on her back, seeing a piece of pipe stuck there. She gritted her teeth, pulling it out and throwing it to the side.

"You shielded us…!" Komui stared at Mei with wide eyes, seeing the blood coming from the pipe wound. Everyone that was in the sphere ball were fine, except Mei.

Kanda narrowed his eyes, standing up.

"Komui! Yu! Sin?!" Lavi gasped. "Wait, no, you're not Sin!" He ran over, "Thank goodness! You're alive!"

"Lavi?!" Komui exclaimed.

Mei winced, ripping part of the cardigan from her leg, and tying it around her waist tightly. She flew up so that she was to the side of Komui, seeing Lavi.

"What's with those handcuffs?!" Lavi pointed at the warped ones she had.

" _ **Those Central bastards put them on Sin.**_ " Mei replied, glaring at the handcuffs. She clicked her tongue, looking up to see another annoyance. It was the level 4, who had come down.

"Is the game of tag over now, 'Chief?'" The level 4 almost sounded like it was taunting Komui.

Mei readied her wings.

 _ **You really left me a lot to compromise on, didn't you?**_

 _I'm sorry! You would've handled the situation better than me…_

 _ **No matter. I'll get rid of this piece of shit.**_

Lavi and Kanda went back to back in front of Komui, ready to fight.

" _ **You idiots…!**_ **"** Mei growled through her teeth.

"Sin, stay back! You're injured!" Komui shouted.

" **Shut up, Komui!** " Mei snapped, flying in front of Kanda and Lavi. She turned her head slightly to the side, " **I'll deal with this ugly thing. You guys go take Komui to Lenalee!** " Mei's words were on edge.

"But you—" Lavi noticed all the blood coming out from her leg and back, and wondered how the hell she was still standing.

" **GO!** " She shouted.

Lavi and Kanda began to go, taking Komui with them.

"You're not getting away, 'Chief'!" The level 4's palm formed a ball of power, before shooting it at them. Mei threw herself in front of it, getting hit at full blast, thrown back to where Kanda, Lavi and Komui were, hitting them in the process.

Mei groaned, pulling herself up, feeling the sting of dark matter that brushed off her body. Her handcuffs had dissipated and crumbled into ash, which allowed her free movement.

"You were hit directly!" Lavi gasped when he saw some stars appear, but then stared at her with wide eyes when they disappeared, indicating that the virus had gone. "What?!"

"The virus…" Komui spoke, standing up.

"Let's go!" Kanda pulled both the red head and sis con up, heading towards Lenalee.

Hevlaska had lifted up Lenalee, about to put her Innocence in. Seeing this, the level 4 attacked Hevlaska, causing her to drop Lenalee and her Innocence.

Mei winced, pushing herself out of the rubble and heading to where the level 4 was. " **You troublesome thing! But, I'll give you my thanks for destroying those annoying handcuffs."** She took out the hairpin in her pocket, invoking it so that it became a spear sword. " **Now we're ready to fight.** " She winced at the pain in her lower back.

 _ **Damn pipe…**_

" **Hm?** " Mei felt another presence, one that belonged to Allen. She saw him coming down from above, but she found it strange.

In her distraction, the level 4 kicked her into a wall, causing a dent.

" **Argh!** " Mei groaned. She landed on her knees, feeling the pain come up from both her leg, her back, and now her abdominals. " **Damn akuma…** "

She saw Allen engage in fight with the akuma, noticing that he wasn't the actual one fighting, but rather, the Innocence was.

 _ **He's letting the Innocence control him to fight?**_ Mei's eyes narrowed as she hopped onto one foot, joining the fight again.

As Mei and the level 4 engaged in fight, Lenalee dragged herself towards the Innocence, seeing the blurry vision of Sin and Allen fighting, blood dripping from her wounds.

"I'm tired of…mourning…" Lenalee whispered to herself, taking hold of the Innocence.

Komui, who had managed to get up to where Lenalee was, was too late, as the Innocence liquefied in her hands.

"So long, Komui!" She smiled at him, then she drank it.

 _ **She drank the Innocence?!**_ Mei's temporary moment of distraction allowed for the akuma to throw Allen to where Rouvelier was, who stood near Lenalee, aiming at him with a full force of dark matter.

Sin quickly took over Mei's distracted state, but nearly gasped and faltered at the unbearable pain in her body. She held back tears as she lifted her Innocence, endowing it with power just like she saw Mei do back in the Ark.

 _Please…succeed!_ Sin hoped. She inhaled sharply before going forward, gaining enough speed. She held her sword pointed, feeling her back throb in pain. She winced, but continued, ignoring the pain.

The level 4 saw it too late, not realising that the other exorcist was attacking, having been focused on teaching the others a lesson. It was starting to turn around when Sin came, stabbing a hole through it, and causing it to scream, before hitting Sin into the wall, forming a crater.

She gasped in pain, falling forward as her Innocence revoked. Her ears rung and her vision blurred—she couldn't see properly, as it was still adjusting.

 _ **Why did you take over if you knew this would happen, idiot?**_

 _Sorry…_

Mei took over again, invoking the Innocence and flying back up. She scrunched up her face in pain, feeling it thoroughly.

" **Huh?** " Mei's looked to where the level 4 was, and to her surprise, Lenalee had started to fight it with her new Innocence, with more power than she had ever seen. She and Allen were fighting together, and because Sin had weakened it just before, the level 4 was feeling the aftereffects of it, though it spewed much nonsense and hate as it fought.

Mei judged the situation, seeing that they didn't seem to need much help. She flew over to where Lavi and Kanda were, seeing them nearby a wall after failing to stop the attack from before.

" **I'm guessing you two are alright if you're alive**." Mei commented. She looked at them, seeing that their injuries aren't too bad, though they'd need treatment.

She looked up, feeling the presence of two Innocences, which she knew belonged to Cross. He destroyed the wall, quite pissed off looking.

"Cancel the evacuation, Komui. I'm going to turn that potbellied freak into a lab specimen." Cross looked like he was almost ready to kill.

Mei glanced over at Komui, seeing him head off somewhere while talking through the wireless, then stop. He started talking with Cross, then turned to where she and the other two were.

"Kanda! Lavi! You all right?" He called.

"I can't move…" Lavi groaned.

"I'm sorry you had to fight without your weapons." Komui apologized.

"Huh? You don't have to apologize. Fighting akuma is my job." Kanda wheezed.

"It's not mine, but still…" It seemed like Lavi's life force had been drained.

"Sin!" Komui shouted, catching Mei's attention. She turned to look at him, waiting for him to continue. He looked at her injuries, seeing them quite severe. He didn't know how she was still able to stand, let alone stay awake. "I'm sorry you had to fight like that with restrictions. But thank you."

Mei managed to let out a chuckle, even though it made her wince. " **You should thank Sin. She's the one who wanted to save all your asses.** "

Komui smiled small and then replied to questions from Allen and Lenalee, before heading off.

At that moment, the level 4 began to move, trying to pull Allen's sword out of its body. It managed to do so, but Cross took the reins, beginning to fight it.

" **That was effective**." Mei commented, seeing the level 4's shot areas expand.

"Why will you be broken? Because I fired one shot for everyone you killed. See? I'm not so heartless." Cross smiled, but there was no happiness behind it, "And the others…were for ruining my suit." He then laughed after that.

"… **typical.** " Mei sweat dropped at the red haired man.

The level 4 akuma shot upwards, trying to escape. It didn't succeed as Allen grabbed a hold of it with his Crown Belt, stopping it from escaping.

 _ **Even if it did go up, the other Generals are waiting to kill it. Talk about checkmate.**_

 _Mei…are you able to give me back control of my body now?_

 _ **Will you be able to cope? It's quite painful.**_

 _I…will. Don't worry._

Mei was silent for a moment in her conversation with the original owner of the body, before sighing to herself. _**I'll give it back to you after they treat it.**_

… _I'm not sure if they'll treat it, Mei. I'm on death row, remember? They might just let me die from blood loss._

 _ **I'll hold on to this body a little longer. I want to have a word with Rouvelier, as well.**_

 _Alright._

Mei saw Allen and Lenalee go through the akuma, popping it like a balloon. Except, rather than just popping, it exploded. Parts of the akuma flew down in broken bits to the ground, with the head landing near Cross.

It was still able to talk, laughing out loud. "Don't get too full of yourselves just because you defeated me. We can destroy you any time we want. In the end, we will—"

"Achoo!" Cross faked a sneeze, shooting Judgement purposely at it. "Oops. There goes my specimen. Ah, well…"

Mei breathed a sigh of relief. She heard the others behind her sigh. She looked over her shoulder, then flew over to where Lenalee was.

" **Lenalee, Sin wants to know if you're alright**." Mei didn't land, knowing that it would hurt even more so than when she first cut it.

Lenalee's eyes widened when she saw the full extent of damage on her body. "Sin! No, not Sin, b-but still! You need medical treatment!" She insisted, lips quivering.

" **I'll be fine. But, are** _ **you**_ **alright?** " Mei asked.

"I'm…I'm fine," Lenalee nodded a couple of times. She turned to Allen, who was up against a wall and not moving. "But I need to go find a doctor for Allen! He isn't moving!"

" **Lenalee, go find a doctor for him**." Mei urged for her to go, in which she was reluctant, but did so anyway.

Cross looked over to Mei, coming over. He put Judgement back into its holder, "Long time no see." He smiled.

"… **I saw you not too long ago back in the Ark, you know**." Mei pointed out.

"It's refreshing to see you again, no matter how many years pass." Timcanpy flew and landed on top of Mei's head.

" **Cross**." Mei's expression turned serious. She hesitated, before shaking her head, " **No, don't worry about it."**

"If you want to know about where _it_ is, I don't know yet." Cross shrugged and turned on his heel, then looked over his shoulder, "Remember to come by and have a drink with me. You promised me over 30 years ago."

Mei's red eyed widened slightly, before she chuckled and shook her head, " **Maybe. We'll see what happens, Cross**." Timcanpy followed after him.

"Sin Diae." Rouvelier's voice almost echoed throughout the whole lower level.

Mei turned to where it had come from. She made a face when she saw the Rouvelier, remembering a similar type of face within the last century.

"What's happening?" Lavi and Kanda could see what was happening, and they had stood up to get back into the higher levels of the Order to see the damages and help out.

" **Rouvelier.** " Mei spat the words menacingly. She glared at him, her red eyes intensely burning into him with hatred.

"You have overstepped your boundaries! You knocked your guards unconscious and joined the battlefield against the level 4, with unauthorized use of the Ark! You used your Innocence, even when you yourself stated that you will not!" Rouvelier shouted those words at her.

Mei hissed, " **So what?** "

Rouvelier glared at her, challenging her glare with one of the same intensity.

" **Hmph. If I didn't listen to Sin to help save everyone, then I would have let this place burn to the ground!** " Mei chuckled darkly, flicking back her silver toned hair. " **You should be glad I didn't destroy this place!** "

Rouvelier's frown became a slight smirk, which immediately caught the attention of Mei's eyes.

" **What the hell are you smiling about, you heartless bastard?** " Mei glowered.

"You haven't recovered your full power yet, have you?" His words caused Mei's eyes to widen, staring at him with a mix of anger and shock. "It's evident in all these wounds of yours. If you were able to use your powers without restrictions, you would have certainly been able to destroy this place unscathed."

" **How…**!" Mei clenched her teeth, " **What are you getting at?!** "

"You still don't have enough time, do you?" Rouvelier's eyes gleamed delightfully, almost like he was having fun toying with his opponent.

" **Rouvelier…!** " Mei winced and pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling the effects of losing too much blood. " **Tch…!** "

"We will imprison you, so that you will not escape." Rouvelier took a step forward. "We won't make the same mistakes as last time." He took another step forward, tone as stern as his face.

" **Try me, big boy**." She grabbed his collar and lifted him up off the ground, at the alarm of those around. Her eyes flashed a bloody red, danger evident in them like a raging beast. Rouvelier, however, didn't seem to flinch. " **If I was not restricted in such a manner, you Rouvelier's would be the first ones I'd kill!** " Her words were heavy and dark. She dropped him.

" **You should be glad that Sin doesn't want any of you to die. Be grateful, you bastards**." Mei turned to Rouvelier when talking. " **You should be grateful that I'm not escaping, too**."

Rouvelier was silent for a moment. "If you're not escaping, then I presume you will be cooperating?" He sounded almost smug.

Mei sent him a glare, " **For now**." She turned around and began to head off.

"Who are you?" Rouvelier asked, fixing his uniform. "You mentioned 'Sin', therefore, you are not the exorcist 'Sin Diae'. Who, then, are you?"

Mei turned around, before a bitter smile went to her lips. " **I am the one who was closest to God. I am Mei."**

"The one closest to God?" Rouvelier chuckled, "It doesn't seem that way right now."

Mei faked laughter, before giving him a death glare. " **If you need me, I'll be with the nurse to treat my wounds."**

Mei flew off, leaving Rouvelier to chuckle at the harsh words that she spoke.

"Mei?" Lavi questioned. "So the one that's Sin, normally, is Sin, but the one who looks like that is Mei?"

"…I think so." Kanda seemed a little dumbfounded.

Lavi recorded it, but he also wondered what Rouvelier meant when he said that Mei didn't have her full power.

 _Does that mean she's a lot stronger than this?_ Lavi thought. _If that's only a part of her strength, and she's on par with the strength of the Noah, then that would mean that if she really did use her full power, she would be able to destroy the Order that she seems to hate so much. But, why hasn't she? Is it because she can't access that power?_

 _Why do they have to put her on death row? I think it'll be worth it to let her live, to see how history plays out._

* * *

"What?!" Tyki exclaimed. The Earl had come back to Tyki's room, telling him the situation of Sin in the Order, and what seemed to be happening there.

"Through the level 4's eyes, it seems that Sin is being kept a prisoner there. I was quite surprised when she awakened again and fought." The Earl sounded delighted, but there was also weariness evident in his voice.

"I mean, what do you mean she's being kept prisoner?" Tyki couldn't believe it. Even if he wasn't an exorcist, it was still not a good sign if they're kept prisoner there. "And what do you mean awakened?"

"She had handcuffs." The Earl clasped his hands together, "Seraphim is slowly starting to devour her mind. This will be good for us, as this Innocence hates the Order very much so!"

Tyki stared at the Earl with a mix of shock and surprise, almost dumbfounded too. In a sense, Tyki got why this Innocence seemed to hate the Order so much, but he didn't get how it wouldn't become a Fallen One, and how it would devour one's mind.

 _That's not good._ Tyki sighed to himself. _If I could get her out of there, I would…wait, what am I thinking?!_

"Tyki-pon, I did give you my permission if you want to save her. She will be a valuable asset." The Earl's teeth seemed to shine brighter.

Tyki wasn't so sure, but he took his words, knowing that the Earl must have had more than those reasons for wanting her around.

… _I guess I should go see her soon._


	16. Chapter 15

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #15

* * *

"No! You have got to let me in! She's my friend!"

Sin opened her eyes, looking up at the metal door in front of her. She lifted her head, trying to see them through the metal bars to the sides of the door, knowing that Lenalee had come.

"I'm here to change her bandages!" It was Lavi's voice. She saw red hair.

"I have food for her." Now it was Allen's voice.

 _They're all here?_ Sin listened to them argue with the guards, trying to get themselves access.

The Seraphim accommodator stood up, hearing the sound of chains that accompanied her. She was cuffed around her ankles and her wrists were once again in the metal handcuffs, restricting her movements even within the prison she was placed in.

The injuries she had sustained from before had half healed only after a couple of days, which shocked Sin, but she liked it better than just hurting all the time.

The metal door slammed open, revealing the exorcists that had come down to see her. They had won against the guards, who stood outside with their backs turned to them. Their faces couldn't be seen because they were all robed up. They were CROWs from Central.

"Be quick!" They ushered them.

Lavi, Lenalee and Allen filed in. Lavi held the bandages, whilst Lenalee and Allen were holding food enough for a few people.

"Lenalee, Lavi, Allen…" Sin murmured. They set down the things, with Lavi coming up to her and checking out her wounds, helping to change the bandages that were around them. Lenalee assisted him.

"We're here, Sin!" Lenalee smiled widely, kneeling down near her.

Lavi undid the bloodied bandages, putting them to the side, checking on the actual wound itself. "Huh?! Why has it healed so much already?" He questioned, checking the one on her leg.

Sin replied, "Apparently I heal quicker than normal people."

"Ah…" Lavi put the bandages around her leg.

Allen opened the lid to one of the containers he brought down, revealing hot meat buns. He grabbed one and handed it to Sin, "Here! You must be hungry."

Sin stared at it for a moment, before taking it in her hands, taking a small bite. As she did so, her eyes became glossy, knowing the familiar taste.

"Ah, sorry! Does it hurt?" Lavi apologized.

Sin shook her head. "I…you all, came down here even though there was no point." She met everyone's eyes, wondering why they would go to such lengths even when she was scheduled to die anyway.

They fell silent, before Lenalee spoke up, "Sin. It's hard for us too, you know. You're our friend. I don't care if they say that you are a heretic, because to me, you aren't one." She smiled at her.

Lavi finished up her leg bandages, with Allen handing him another roll for her back.

"It seems they're just basing everything off the patterns of history. Just because history is like that, it doesn't necessarily mean that the present and future will be, too." Lavi piped in with a light chuckle. Lenalee took off the bloodied bandages from around her waist, before Lavi covered it with fresh ones.

"You also fight akuma with us, and you're considered part of us. No one wants you to go through this. They just want you to come back to the Order." Allen sounded upbeat, but there were hints of sadness in his voice.

"I love you all, you know that?" Sin smiled, laughing lightly. "Your support is really helping me in this dark dungeon."

They all laughed a little, before finishing up with the food. Apparently, they had made it so that they would eat their lunch with her, and had even gotten the permission of the nurse.

"So, what are you going to do?" Lavi's voice lowered so that it was only a whisper. The guards weren't able to hear.

Sin opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but closed it, hesitant. While by herself, she had been thinking a lot, and was still thinking now.

"I'm not too sure." She finally said, matching Lavi's whisper. "I…there's so many things that I need to do and want to find out, but I'm in this predicament. It's hard to imagine things happening this way."

"I'm worried about what Mei and Central will do if I continue to live, and…" Sin didn't want to say those five words that she knew to be true. "I guess I should just wait a few more days, huh?" She tried a smile, but it ended up forced.

The three exorcists exchanged glances, knowing that it would be very hard to outrun the Order, as well as do something about the Innocence devouring her mind if she escaped.

Lavi stared at the half eaten meat bun in her hand, then back up at her, "If you were to live, we would have to fight you, wouldn't we?"

Sin, Lenalee and Allen all looked at Lavi, surprised by his question.

Lenalee and Allen were speechless as they knew it was true, but they didn't want to say anything. It didn't suit them to fight a good friend.

"Yeah. If I did end up living, I'd be pursued and killed." Sin rubbed her temples, "Both options aren't good at all!" She sighed.

The visiting exorcists fell silent, not knowing what to say in response to that. It was undeniably true that she had very little options, and both had similar outcomes.

"Exorcists! Time is up! Leave!" A guard stomped his spear onto the ground, signalling for the three to go.

"I guess our time here is up." Lavi stood up, brushing his pants. "See ya later."

"We'll come again, Sin!" Allen took the containers.

Lenalee sent an apologetic look to her friend, "I'm sorry we couldn't stay longer…"

"It's okay, Lenalee. I'll be fine." Sin smiled warmly at Lenalee, seeing her walk out slowly with a concerned look. The metal door slammed shut, and once again, Sin was alone.

 _ **You have very nice friends**_ , Mei commented.

 _They're good people._

 _ **So what are you going to do now? Escape?**_

 _I'm not sure_ what _I want to do. Whatever that I end up doing, the outcome will be very similar._

 _ **But you want to live, don't you?**_

… _yes, I do._

 _ **Why don't you go to the Noah family, then? You'll be able to see that precious Tyki of yours.**_

 _Mei, wouldn't that make my situation worse? The Noah family is the Order's opposite._

 _ **Well, breaking out of jail if pretty bad, too,**_ Mei pointed out. _**They're going to be after you either way so you might as well go and join the enemy.**_

 _That's…_

 _ **Well? It'll help you live, wouldn't it? They'll provide protection against those pesky people from Central.**_

 _...how would I know they won't just kill me on the spot? Don't the Noah hate Innocence so much that they kill exorcists on sight?_

 _ **Not with Seraphim, no. They're able to tolerate it.**_

 _What? How?_

… _ **on a side note, you've been using Seraphim for long periods of time. How does your head feel?**_

 _My head?_ Sin realised that Mei had completely dodged the question regarding the reason why Noah are able to tolerate Seraphim. It didn't make any sense as to why she wouldn't tell her.

 _ **Yes, your head. The more you use it, the more it devours you, yes?**_

 _Y-yeah...I don't really feel too different, yet. My head does feel a little strange, like something to trying to take over. But otherwise, I'm fine._

 _ **I see. You're taking this awfully well, compared to your previous accommodators.**_

 _What do you mean?_

 _ **The previous accommodators became mad the more they used it.**_

 _Why is that so?_

 _ **Because it's a scary thing, to be devoured by the Innocence.**_

 _Devoured by Innocence?_ Sin held a look of surprise, but then remembered of the conclusion she came at, _that's right. I nearly forgot. Mei, you are the Innocence, aren't you? Does that mean you're the one who's devouring the mind, which then allows you to take over the body?_

… _ **you're a lot more relaxed about this. When the others found out, they freaked and some even tried to kill themselves. And yes, I am the one who devours the mind. I can take over the body, but it also depends on the vessel at that moment.**_

 _You're quite talkative this time, Mei._

 _ **That's because you keep asking questions.**_

 _So, Mei, are you Seraphim?_

 _ **In a sense, yes, but also no. I'm merely a memory that has come with Seraphim, which enables me to reside in every accommodator.**_

 _A memory?_

 _ **Yes.**_

Sin didn't really get what Mei meant at that point, so she skipped the questions regarding that matter. _I have another question. Why do you try to devour the mind of what you call 'vessels'? Since you just said that you are a memory that resides in every accommodator, does it mean that there is something you want to do if you are able to?_

… _ **first of all, I'm technically not really devouring your mind. It just feels like it, but your memories and everything else stay intact. It will just be pushed aside when I take your consciousness. Similar to what happens when I take over during fights, but permanent. As for the thing I want to do…I can't tell you that yet.**_

 _Is it destroying the Order?_ Sin guessed.

She knew of Mei's hatred towards the Order, and somewhat understood why. If she was a memory that came with Seraphim into an accommodator's body, it would mean that she was able to experience everything that they felt. The Order has only been active for a century or so, with two other Seraphim accommodators apart from Sin, both of which were killed by the Order. The Rouvelier family was one of the founders of the Order, and thus Mei would have seen them, and hated them for giving the okay to such things like human experimentation.

 _ **That's one of them, actually. In all honesty, Komui and those in the Asia branch aren't too bad, I just hate the higher ups. I want to kill the Holy Father, too. He spouts nothing but nonsense and shit.**_

 _That's…a crude way of putting it._ Sin sweat dropped. _If they heard you say that you'll definitely be burned at the stake._

 _ **But apart from that, there's something else that I can do.**_

Sin knew that Mei wouldn't tell her the answer to that yet. So, she asked about being a vessel. _Mei, you keep referring to me as a 'vessel'. Did you refer to the other accommodators as 'vessel's', too?_

 _ **Yeah. All the accommodators are vessels. But, the durability of these vessels ranges from 0 to 100.**_

 _What do you mean?_

 _ **Some vessels cannot hold the Innocence or myself. Others are able to withstand it, but not well. Some are able to hold out for a longer period of time, but then can't take it anymore. Remember what I told you before? Then, there are some that are like a needle in a haystack.**_

 _Then, which one am I?_

 _ **You're the needle in a haystack—no, more than that. I'm quite lucky to have gotten a vessel like you.**_

Sin stared at the prison door for a long moment. _Does that mean that you want to take over my body to do whatever you need to do?_

 _ **That's right. You're the perfect vessel for that.**_

Sin thought of when Mei had saved her countless times so as not to, as Mei puts it, accidently kill herself.

 _That must be why you keep helping me._ Sin concluded. She heard a hum of agreement from Mei's side. _If I'm the perfect vessel for you…that means you don't want me to die._

 _ **Of course not. It'll only be a matter of time before I'm able to take over your body.**_

Sin stood up, wanting to move around a little bit. She winced when the pain from her back and leg sent waves of pain.

 _ **You haven't healed yet.**_

 _Speaking of healing, are you the one that caused my body's healing process to occur quicker?_

 _ **You've figured out quite a lot, haven't you?**_

 _I just want to understand what's happening._

 _ **You're taking it well, too. I'm surprised that you just believe everything I say.**_

 _I don't think you have a reason to lie to me, Mei._

 _ **Why are you so confident?**_

 _There has been nothing to refute whatever you say as false. Just that._

 _ **You trust people too easily. Remember the last time that happened?**_

 _Don't talk about that._

Mei noticed the difference in her tone, so she stopped. It was only silence all around in the dungeon she was kept in. It was on the floors below the Order, near the river that travelled through it.

 _ **So, when should we escape?**_ Mei asked.

 _When the time is right._

 _ **And when's that? There'll never be a 'right' time, you know. You're going to rot here before you even try.**_

 _I could always try and see if I can do something about those chains. I don't think I can do anything with those handcuffs, though._

 _ **Handcuffs I can deal with, they're good to use when knocking people out, like you did before. That was some good stuff.**_

 _Um, thank you?_

 _ **Anyway, those chains around your ankles seem to be made of the same material as those of the handcuffs. That'll be hard to destroy.**_ Mei sighed with annoyance, remembering how she could only dent it back when she tried to destroy it.

 _These cuffs have keys, Mei. Do you think we can pick the lock?_

 _ **Picking the lock will be kind of risky. We can't steal the keys because they're with that two dots blondie. Damn blondie. He even confiscated your Innocence. It's with the guards now, isn't it?**_

 _Yeah, it is,_ Sin sighed.

 _ **If we can manage to get your Innocence from the guards, we'll be able to cut through the cuffs, both of them.**_

 _How are you so sure?_

 _ **That Innocence is strong. I've seen it countless times in battle – don't underestimate my knowledge of it.**_

 _Oh…I see._ Sin pondered how she would be able to get her hands on her Innocence. _Ah, Mei, do you think I am able to invoke, and send it towards myself? I think I did that once during battle._

 _ **Do you think calling it would make it go through that thick ass metal door?**_

… _maybe when the door opens, then?_

 _ **That won't be for a while, unless two dots blondie or Rouvelier comes to talk.**_

 _That's true…everything is about timing, isn't it?_ She thought, looking down at her bandaged leg. She pondered for a while, wondering how she was going to go about it.

"Hm?" Sin looked up, hearing the sound of faint footsteps. They sounded hollow, but she knew that someone was coming.

 _ **Well, the opportunity sure came in quick.**_

 _I guess._

The Chinese woman waited until she could hear the steps well. The shuffle of the guard's feet were strange, but it made sense when she heard saw them greet and salute the person who had come.

As the metal door opened for them to come through, Sin wondered if it was Rouvelier since he commanded the same respect. However, the one who came in through the door wasn't him.

 _Who?_ Sin stared at them with curious eyes, wondering why someone who resembled that of a church priest, had come. It was a middle aged man wearing a cassock under a coat, but he looked a lot kinder than Rouvelier did. He had light hair and wore glasses.

"You are Sin Diae, I presume?" They spoke in a kind tone, taking a few steps forward towards her chained figure.

 _ **Sin…**_

Sin nodded slowly, "You are a…cardinal from Central?" She guessed, bowing her head slightly in a show of respect to them.

Even if she was imprisoned, she still respected those who are of higher status than her, even if she disliked them.

"That's right." The Cardinal crouched down, the smile still on his face. He examined her, before sighing. "It's a shame someone like you has such a horrible Innocence."

Sin's blue eyes widened before she narrowed her eyes slightly, wondering what he meant. His tone had sounded condescending.

 _ **Sin…get out of here.**_

"Innocence is God's creation. How can it possibly be horrible?" Sin questioned thoughtfully. She ignored Mei for now.

The Cardinal only smiled, coming closer, before raising his hand. His fingertips began to become similar to white feathers.

 _ **SIN! GET OUT OF HERE, NOW!**_

Hearing the urgency in Mei's voice, Sin moved away from the Cardinal upon seeing his morphed fingers.

"Now, now, don't back away, Seraphim." He smiled, "This will only hurt a bit."

 _ **Call your Innocence! Now! DO IT!**_

Not knowing what exactly was happening, Sin glanced towards the guards, but saw that they were on the ground, unconscious.

 _This is bad news…!_

"INNOCENCE!" Sin shouted, reaching over towards the guards. She pulled forward, but since she was chained, she was unable to go that way. There was a green glow by the guard's pocket, before it came out and invoked, throwing itself at Sin.

"There is nothing you can do, Seraphim." The Cardinal stood up when he saw her catch her Innocence, coming over to her even when she held it in her defence between the handcuffs. "Is Mei telling you to fight?"

Sin's eyes widened at his mention of her, wondering how he knew. "Did Rouvelier tell you?!"

The Cardinal chuckled lightly, "Of course not. Mei has been my target for many, many millennia."

"Target…?" Sin's mouth opened in astonishment.

"Yes. I destroy her hopes of making it back into the world." Without another word, he lurched forward, throwing the morphed hand at her.

 _ **GET OUT OF THERE NOW, SIN! DON'T FIGHT HIM FOR LONGER THAN YOU NEED!**_

Sin dodged it but nearly tripped on the chains, finding them incredibly restricting. In the space of time just after she dodged, she slammed the Innocence down onto the chain on one leg, breaking it around the ankles. She winced when she felt her Innocence cut her leg.

The Cardinal used his other hand, grabbing her shoulder as he punched her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her and forcing the healing wound on her back to re-open. Due to the chain still attached to one of her legs, the recoil when she was pulled back from the powerful punch by it hurt her as she slumped to the side, gasping for breath and holding her stomach in pain.

"Ah…argh!"

 _Why is his punches so powerful?!_ Sin's eyes had gone slightly blurry as she looked up, seeing that the Cardinal was walking closer, the morphed hand in view. He leaned down and pulled her up, his hand straight, ready to pierce.

 _ **DAMMIT!**_

"Just stop trying, Mei. Your attempts are futile." The Cardinal aimed at her heart.

" **You…wish…!** " Mei had taken over Sin's body and grabbed the Cardinal's hand with both of hers, which were still in the handcuff. She had dropped the Innocence to her side.

She winced from the aftereffects of the punch, knowing that such a punch would force a person unconscious in a matter of seconds.

"You still fight it?" He began to morph his hands, starting to dig into hers. His tone had changed slightly, too.

Mei pulled her hand away, grabbing his neck and pushing herself up as strongly as she could, throwing him against a wall with the added momentum of the handcuffs. There was a loud crash as the wall got destroyed, and she took no time between getting her Innocence and freeing herself of the last chain, even if she was injured in the process. She stood up, feeling the pain in her injured leg. She glanced at it, finding that the new bandages had started to stain red.

She slammed the handcuffs down onto the Innocence, breaking it successfully. She rubbed her wrists as there was a metal clang on the ground, then grabbed her Innocence to prepare.

 _Why the hell did it have to come around at this time?!_ Mei clenched her teeth as she stared at the Cardinal, who pulled himself away from the wall, dusting off the rubble in his hair and on his clothes.

He cracked his neck and looked down at Sin's feet, seeing that both had cuts on them, and she was injured on major limbs on her body.

"Just give up, Mei. You can never win, not with this level of power." The Cardinal spoke.

" **Not a fat chance! Even if you try and kill me, I'll always come back, until I achieve me goal. You're just another one of those damn obstacles I need to get past**." Mei pointed her Innocence at him before striking, stabbing him in the throat.

 _ **He didn't even try to dodge?!**_

He grabbed her Innocence by the blade and pulled it out of him, throwing it to the side. Mei went with the momentum of his push and slashed back at him.

He just jumped to dodge it, a smile on his face as he morphed into a white creature with a bald head and no nose. He had a cross embedded in the middle of his chest, similar to the one Allen had. The wound in his throat was slowly healing.

He sent a kick her way, but Mei ducked, grabbing his leg and stabbing the sword through it, before trying to cut through his whole leg like a fillet of meat.

"You—!" He screamed. Before he landed on the ground, the sword was ready to pierce him again, but this time, where the cross was.

" **You need a handicap just like I did**." Mei smirked, lunging forward to stab his chest. She felt resistance, finding that he had used his hands to block the way. She glared at him with distaste before pushing forward stronger, going through his hands and just touching the cross, stabbing it in the middle just slightly. This caused him to scream loudly.

She quickly pulled the sword out when she found that he was trying to pull her in for a critical shot, kicking him into the metal door and leaving a dent.

Mei clicked her tongue, seeing the Cardinal groan and repair himself, albeit slower than usual.

 _ **I'm going to escape now. This gives us the perfect opportunity!**_

 _Please, do so!_

"You will not endanger the Heart…! You will meet your end, again and again…I will find you, YOU TRAITOR OF GOD, MEI!" He roared.

Mei sliced through the wall of the dungeon. She saw the outside, seeing the sun start to set.

 _ **Hm…before we go…**_

She turned around to where the white creature was, before going over and stabbing it several times mercilessly, exchanging some punches and kicks while she was at it, beating it down even further.

" **It's a shame that only my Innocence can really hurt you**." Mei invoked her wings and headed off out into the air, flying towards any location that just wasn't towards the Order.

"TRAITOR OF GOD, TRAITOR OF INNOCENCE! MEI!"

Mei didn't respond as she flew as fast as she could to get out of the Order's radar. She winced when she felt her back and leg throb in pain, feeling the blood soaking through the rest of the bandages.

 _ **Sin, you can take over now. But take it easy.**_

 _Thanks for getting us out of that situation earlier,_ Sin was able to control her body once again, and gasped when she felt the pain throughout her body. It was worse than the pain she felt after battling the level 4.

 _Mei, who was that Cardinal from before? He knew you._

 _ **That thing? That's no Cardinal. It's Innocence.**_

 _Innocence?_

 _ **Yes. You know what the Noah call it? Apocryphos.**_

 _Apocryphos…why is this Innocence trying to kill you? It really hates you._

 _ **I don't need you to tell me that. Of course it hates me.**_

 _It said that you betrayed God and the Innocence, too. Not the Innocence Seraphim, that everyone keeps talking about, but_ you _._

… _ **where are you flying to, Sin?**_

Sin raised a brow slightly at her avoiding the question, but didn't go back to it. _I'm not really sure. I'm just flying wherever it takes me._

 _ **Aren't you sad about leaving your friends behind?**_

… _very. But I can't do anything about it, can I? There are many things I want to do, even if I'm running away. I'd rather die a fugitive who have done all they want to, than just await my death._

 _ **You sound like a wise old man.**_

Sin laughed lightly in pain, _maybe so. But, I will miss them. I just hope that they won't really try to kill me when they end up finding me._ She laughed nervously.

 _ **If that happens, will you end up killing them?**_

Sin looked down at the shadows caused by trees on the ground. She hadn't thought about that. It was truly survival of the fittest, but also a lot more complicated than that.

 _I…am not sure. I wouldn't want to endanger any of the people I care about._

 _ **You are too kind hearted for your own good.**_

* * *

At night, Rouvelier had gone down to check up on Sin and the one called 'Mei', down in the dungeons that were hidden from view. When he got down, he found that the guards were knocked unconscious and there was a huge hole in the wall, leading outside, and the chains that supposedly bound her were undone and broken on the side.

He saw blood splatter here and there and dents in the wall at random spots, which almost signified a fight had occurred. His eyes narrowed, wondering who did this.

 _Who knocked out those guards?_ Rouvelier turned around, seeing the guards groan and wake up groggily. He didn't even need to go over and see that Sin had taken her Innocence from them.

He pressed a finger to his wireless communicator brooch, "Sin Diae has escaped from prison. Send out search parties immediately!"

" **Yes, sir!** "

Rouvelier relaxed his arm and looked outside, seeing that it was almost pitch black. He couldn't see anything.

 _With those wings I don't know where she would have gone,_ Rouvelier narrowed his eyes, heading back upstairs to see to preparations for finding the missing exorcist.

* * *

"What?!" Reever and Johnny exclaimed. Johnny was still in a wheelchair, but was talking to Reever in Komui's office before they heard the news straight from Rouvelier.

"Sin's escaped?!" Johnny shouted, pushing the chair to Komui's desk.

Komui's eyes were wide, his hand slamming down onto the desk. He lifted it up slowly, pressing it to his forehead as he ground his molars.

"BROTHER!" Lenalee burst into the room, followed by Allen and Link. They were going to ask Komui if they could go down to the dungeon again and was standing right out the door when they heard.

"Lenalee…Allen…" Komui felt himself choke on his words, finding it hard to say anything.

It was already hard enough to believe that Sin had actually broken out of prison, but to risk having everyone hunt her down and kill her? That was a horrible ending.

"Sin's escaped…?" Her lips quivered as she tried to confirm the news, going closer to her brother.

Allen pressed his lips together, keeping quiet. Beside him, Link was vexed that Sin had escaped, especially after her words about not using her Innocence.

 _Have you no pride, Sin Diae?!_ Link thought, mad.

"She's escaped." Komui confirmed.

Johnny spoke, "N-no…that can't be! She's loyal to the Order…and, and…she wouldn't just leave us behind…" tears formed in the scientist's eyes, fearing to drop anytime soon. "We're…friends…!"

Reever pressed a hand on Johnny's head, pushing it down. Johnny let his tears fall onto his lap, holding in sobs. Even though he only knew her for a short while, he felt like she was a very kind soul that was fun to be around. She wasn't entirely open to them yet, he knew, but she was slowly opening up, and they were getting along better. Now that all these events had happened, it seemed hard to throw all those memories away.

"I get it that you were friends with her! We _all_ were!" Reever spoke to Johnny. He was looking down and away, conflicted inside. "It's not just you that feels that way…all of us do!"

"I'm going to find her!" Lenalee declared, her eyes glassy. She didn't know whether or not she would find her, nor if she _did_ want to find her.

 _After all, if I find her, it's all over for her._ Lenalee was absolutely terrified of what would happen to Sin if that happened.

Komui shook his head, brows together, "We can't do anything rash. Rouvelier may have other plans."

"But—"

"Lenalee."

Lenalee clenched her hands into fists and took Allen by the wrist, dragging him out with her.

"Lenalee!" Komui called. She ignored him, slamming the door behind her.

"Lenalee, where are we going?!" Allen asked, following her. He had just managed to match her speed.

"I don't know! I'm just so…angry…and sad!" Lenalee was just aimlessly walking around, trying to calm herself down. She knew very well that dragging along Allen didn't help too much, but she wanted to get him away from Link to ask Allen something.

"Uh…you lost Link." Allen commented, glancing over his shoulder.

"Good!" Lenalee huffed. She turned a corner and kept walking, "Allen, do you think Sin has betrayed us?"

"No?" Allen made it sound like a question, but he didn't believe that she would do that.

"…then, do you think Sin _will_ betray us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Will she join the Noah, like that previous accommodator did? The one that was connected to the 14th Noah?"

Allen was about to say 'no, she won't!', but he hesitated when he remembered her and Tyki's relations.

"…I don't know, Lenalee."

" _ **AS OF TONIGHT, SIN DIAE IS STRIPPED OF HER EXORCIST TITLE AND IS NOW A HERETIC AND FUGITIVE THAT WILL BE KILLED UPON SIGHT!"**_

The golems all around them sounded Rouvelier's voice, booming it through the Order until every single last one of them heard it.

Lenalee and Allen's stomach dropped as they heard what they feared.

Lavi choked on his coffee and coughed, sputtering it all over the newspaper he was reading. "W-what?! What about my records?!"

Kanda and Marie were sparring together when they heard the news, but said nothing for the moment, as they didn't know what she was going to do.

Finally, Kanda clicked his tongue and destroyed one of the training swords that he held, pissed. "What the hell did that idiot Pipsqueak do now?!"

" _ **I REPEAT! SIN DIAE IS STRIPPED OF HER EXORCIST TITLE AND IS NOW A HERETIC AND FUGITIVE THAT WILL BE KILLED UPON SIGHT!"**_

* * *

After flying for several hours, Sin landed on the ground, exhausted of her energy. She placed a hand on her wounds lightly, feeling that they had dried. She felt like she was going to faint.

"Where did I end up?" She glanced around, seeing bamboo and dirt roads. She heard sounds of chatter, laughter and festivities nearby, which indicated to her that she was near civilisation.

 _ **Don't fall asleep yet! You need to find a proper place to hide, first!**_

As she went down to the lights that weren't too far from her, she saw double, her vision blurring. Her wings retracted and she stumbled, falling onto the ground. She pressed a hand to her head, feeling it throb painfully, but not from exhaustion. A huge surge of mixed emotions abruptly came over her, before it suddenly died down, along with her consciousness as it went all black.

About an hour or so later, a boy was walking back to his home when he saw someone collapsed on the path. He quickly went over to them, hoping that they were alright, as any Good Samaritan would do.

It was hard to see what happened to them since it was dark, but the boy could make out that the person was unconscious, and was injured. He could feel the bandages, as well as see it soaked in a dark substance, which he could pick up as blood.

The boy, being young, was not strong enough to support the person himself, but he tried. He was the only one around and thus pulled up the person, supporting them by the arm and dragging them to his house so that he could find a doctor.

Once he reached outside the gates of his house, the guards wondered who it was that he was carrying.

"Bring a doctor! Please, this person is in need of help!" One of the guards helped the boy with picking up the person, which he commented to be a girl, and quickly brought them inside to one of the guest bedrooms, whilst the other one went around to the festival to find a doctor.

The other guards saluted the boy as he followed after the guard who helped him. He glanced over at the unconscious girl, wondering who had become so injured. Once he took a look at them, he knew who it was immediately.

It was the girl who he met at the festival not too long ago, who he had thought to be his dead sister.

 _What is she doing here?!_


	17. Chapter 16

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #16

* * *

"What?!" Tyki exclaimed, accidently letting the fish he just caught jump back into the pond. He stared at Road with wide eyes, gaping. "Are you serious?"

"Yup." Road rocked on her heels. "The Earl and I just heard from our sources."

"So she broke out of prison and now she's a traitor to the Order and they want to kill her?" Tyki waved around the fish bone that he had with astonishment.

"That's right."

"Why would she break out of prison? Why is she even _in_ prison?" He questioned, raising a brow. He lifted up the glasses he wore in his human disguise, pushing them onto his head like a headband.

"You don't know?" Road asked with genuine surprise.

"No."

"That was the whole point of the Earl telling you about Seraphim's history at the Order…" Road sighed, "She was imprisoned because of her Innocence. Don't you remember the Earl saying that the Order hated Seraphim?"

"…oh." Tyki put the puzzle together and rubbed the back of his neck, looking to the pond.

 _Then that would make sense that they'd imprison her._

"She was actually put on death row, you know." Road revealed to him.

"Death row?!" Tyki whipped around to face her again, the fish bones dropping from his hand. "That's a bit too much, isn't it?"

Even if he hated exorcists, he couldn't bring himself to hate his friend, and worried for them instead.

"Not for the Order, no." Road simply shrugged. "That's why there's a **kill at sight** order for her by exorcists and the like."

The male was speechless. He closed his mouth and thought for a long moment, looking down at the water.

He was actually out there to chill and just eat fish, but it seems that Sin's safety was reaching new heights, in the wrong direction.

"So, what are you going to do, Tyki?"

* * *

The fragrance of flowers—jasmine, chrysanthemums and orchids.

 _They're so nostalgic…_

Blue eyes fluttered open, staring at a bed's ceiling structure. It was red, the colour of luck.

… _where?_

It felt all too familiar to her. She turned her head to the side on the round pillow, seeing a Chinese styled interior. She knew she was currently in the bed at the end of the room, with the light coloured bed curtains up. On the sides of the room were hanging scrolls, a wardrobe and storage boxes, as well as a full length mirror and dresser. In the middle of the room, there was a round marble table with four seats, and sitting on one of them and doing his work, was the boy she had seen at the festival, who mistakenly thought she was his sister.

 _Which is wrong,_ Sin pulled herself up, feeling a heaviness in her head and limbs as she did so. She pressed her hand to her forehead, sitting up. _What is this drowsiness?_

Hearing the sound of movement and bedsheet rustle, Leon looked over to Sin, seeing that she was awake. He stopped doing what he was doing and headed over in a rush, almost frantic.

"You're awake! Big sis—ah, no, I mean, guest." Leon bowed a little at her, "How are you feeling, Miss?"

Sin just observed the 12 year old, seeing he had grown up well. He was slightly fidgeting, as he was nervous. She had a better look at him now than she did before, noticing that his features had matured slightly and he was taller than he was 5 years ago.

"I feel fine now, thank you." Sin smiled at him warmly, knowing that telling him that she was incredibly drained of energy and drowsy wasn't going to help.

Leon blushed, seeing the familiar smile he so very missed. His eyes became glossy when he remembered what happened nearly 5 years ago. He pushed aside those thoughts and clenched his hands, hiding them behind his back. He returned her smile.

"Do you know where you are, Miss? We're in—" Leon started to explain.

"Leon." Sin interrupted.

He stopped, staring at her with wide blue eyes darker than her own. He gaped at her for a long moment, wondering how she knew his name.

 _Can it be…?_ Leon's mind went into overdrive, trying to pick out which was truth and which was lie.

"Leon, come a little closer." Sin motioned him to come closer. He had almost frozen in his place, but went forward when she asked, not knowing what to say. "Closer." She waited for him to come closer, noticing that he was edging like he was on a cliff ridge. She laughed lightly, "There's no need to be so stiff!" Once he was close enough, she pulled him by the arm, throwing her arms around him in a big hug. "Leon, I'm back!"

Leon was alarmed at her actions, but once her arms went around him, he could only hug her back, as his façade shattered and tears escaped from his eyes. He starting sobbing, feeling his heart wrench.

He didn't know how much those words meant to him.

Seeing him cry, Sin felt quite guilty. It wasn't something she intended to do, but she knew, that he already knew, but just wasn't sure.

She patted his back, "Leon, come on, don't cry!"

"B-but t-they said," He hiccupped, "Y-you were d-dead!" He hugged her harder, not wanting to let go of her.

A small, bitter smile curled her lips slightly as she stared at the ground, finding that the events of that time was what caused this whole situation.

 _And it even reached Europe. I couldn't believe Johnny knew about it,_ Sin mentally sighed to herself. _Thank goodness they didn't have many accurate paintings of me._

"Leon. It's okay, I'm alive." Sin spoke softly, rubbing his back.

"I-I missed you!" Leon cried.

"I know. I'm sorry." She pulled away from the hug, seeing her brother's crying face. She chuckled and took a tissue from the side, wiping away his tears.

"How did you know it was me?" Sin questioned him. He had finally stopped crying, and was blowing his nose and cleaning up his face.

"I'm not too sure. I saw you, and I thought to myself, 'This is my sister'." Leon thought back, but then he scrunched up his expression, "But you were apparently dead at that time so I didn't think that it was you either. Plus, your hair was a lot shorter. Maybe it was your demeanour?"

"I'm surprised you recognised me after so long. You were quite young, then."

"Of course I would remember! You were the one who took care of me most of the time! I couldn't have forgotten your face…" Leon stared at her for a long time, "Yup, you look more mature."

"It's been five years, Leon!" Sin laughed and threw a pillow at him. He caught it and handed it back.

"You need to rest, big sister! You were bleeding a lot last night! What exactly happened?!" He exclaimed, the topic shifting completely.

Sin wondered if she should tell him about everything. She was sure that she shouldn't, considering what was currently happening.

 _I shouldn't worry him further, probably._ Sin sighed to herself.

"I got injured while doing my job." Sin simplified it down, so that she wasn't lying, nor was she telling the whole truth.

"Your job? What kind of job? We sent out search parties and searched everywhere but we still couldn't find you! Where were you this whole time?!"

 _Uh…_ Sin had a hard time trying to answer these questions. She did owe him an answer, but how much of the truth; not much.

"I was travelling. I went here and there, so that's maybe why those search parties missed me." Sin replied.

"Travelling? Does that mean you did odd jobs here and there? Were you alone? Big sister! Do you know how dangerous it is for a woman to be out alone when travelling?!" Leon freaked.

Sin watched him as he did, thinking that he was overreacting a tad bit, though he did have a point.

"You're worrying too much, Leon." Sin waved her hand in dismissal. "I was travelling with a group of people. They were very nice."

"That may only be on the surface! What if they assaulted you?! What if they—oh, what if they did indecent things?! You'll never get married!" Leon pressed his hands to his face in shock.

 _He became more of a worrywart since back then._ Sin noticed, _the pressure might have gotten to him?_

Sin laughed nervously, wondering why he was bringing up the topic of marriage. Sure, she was of age to be married off, but that doesn't mean she wanted to be.

"They're not bad people, Leon. You're overreacting way too much. I know you're worried about me, but I can take care of myself, you know." The female met his eyes.

Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, Leon sighed, "I'm sorry. It's just that there have been a lot of those cases happening lately. I'm worried. Some people in the city have had that happen to them."

"It's been happening lately? How are they? Are they alright?" Sin asked, pulling the covers off herself and swinging to the side.

"They're currently fine, but they're scared. It's okay, big sister! I took care of the people while you were away! I'm currently making a plan to help the people, and what I can do to try to make that happen." Leon headed over to the table and picked up the sheet of paper he was writing on, bringing it over to Sin.

She was relieved that her people were fine, but she was also worried how much pressure Leon had to shoulder due to her leaving her role and pushing it all onto him.

Taking the piece of paper, she skimmed through its contents. There were parts written in Chinese and English, so she could read both.

"Leon, your Chinese and English have improved." Sin commented.

"I worked really hard on it, day after day, to catch up to you!"

Sin smiled. She knew Leon worked really hard to get where he was now, and judging by how he's currently handling things, he was doing well. It was what Sin had hoped for.

 _A system where the women are able to be taught self-defence techniques weekly?_ Sin nodded in agreement, finding that Leon really came up with something good. He had even detailed what kinds of styles they should learn, as well as the types of moves.

"You put a lot of thought into this, Leon! Great job!" Sin praised, handing him back the sheet.

He grinned sheepishly and put it away, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thank you!"

"Where are mother and father?" Sin questioned, glancing at the door. "I would expect them to come rushing."

"That is…" Leon started, a little hesitant. "I didn't tell them that it was you. I told the guards not to tell anyone, either."

"I see. That explains it." Sin nodded a couple of times.

 _ **So what's going to happen now that you're home, hm?**_

 _Ah, Mei. Well, I don't know yet. I guess I'll stay here for the time being, since my family's not associated with the Black Order._

 _ **It won't be long before they search this place, too. So you better plan out what you're doing soon, or else you'll end up dead.**_

 _Yes, yes, Mei._

"Big sister, what are you going to do now? Are you going to go back and do your job?" He asked.

Sin glanced down at her clothes, seeing that she was wearing the clothing from the estate, some casual Chinese styled clothes consisting of baggy pants and a loose shirt. It was comfortable, to say the least. Leon probably went with the most inconspicuous look to not draw attention.

 _Leon probably got one of the maids to dress me._ Sin concluded. It was a relief that she wasn't wearing her exorcist uniform, as that would have given everything away. _It would be better to leave him in the dark, same with mother and father and the others._

"I don't think I can go back just yet," Sin lifted up her shirt to see the bandages had been freshly changed. "I need to recover first."

 _It'll only take a few days, though._

"Chen changed those for you, sis." Leon nodded, "She was very happy to have you back."

Sin smiled small, remembering her personal attendee from before she left the household. "Is Chen well? I haven't seen her in so, very long."

"She is very well. In two days she has a day off, so do greet her. She'll be very happy." Leon grinned.

"I will." Sin nodded in confirmation. "Leon, why don't you show me around? I think I need to move around a little bit."

"But sister, you can't! I heard from Chen that you're suffering from a serious wound on your back and your leg! It's better for you to rest!" He insisted.

"It's fine, Leon. What do you take me for?" She laughed and stood up, stumbling a little. She regained her balance and pushed most of her weight onto her good leg. "It'll be fine." She forced a smile on her face as she felt the pain. She almost forgot it hurt a lot.

"No, it will not!" Leon pointed to the bed, "Go back to bed, big sister!"

Seeing the current serious expression on his face, Sin couldn't refuse and sat back down, sighing. "Alright, Leon. I'll stay put." She pouted.

"Good!"

"What's your schedule for today?" She asked. When she lived there, her days were always full of many things. Leon's was too, but it would be more so now than before as he was shouldering the family's future.

"I promised to make some sweets with the family living by the river. I'll be going there very soon, and will be back in a few hours for lunch. Afterward, I will be helping out the Auntie who makes your favourite BBQ buns; one of her employees have gotten sick. And then, I'll need to prepare for the upcoming visit by one of our silk buyers, who are coming all the way from Europe. They'll be coming in tomorrow." The boy explained.

"You have a day off from studying, today?" Sin questioned, throwing the blanket over her shoulders. It was getting chilly.

Leon raised a brow at her action and headed to one of the trunks to find a shawl, handing it over to his sister. "That action is not befitting of someone of your status, big sister. Please, wear this."

Sin couldn't help but let out a chuckle. She took the shawl from her brother and wore it, finding that it was even warmer than the blanket.

 _Indeed, it's not befitting, but it's something I had to do when I was with Tyki, Eeez, Momo and Clark,_ Sin found herself thinking about them.

 _Eeez…is around the same age as Leon, isn't he? I feel they would be good friends._ She smiled at the thought.

Leon only observed her, seeing her thinking. _She seems to be thinking of something happy?_

"Leon, I'm sorry to keep you here. Were you not going to go to help make sweets by the river with the family that resides there?" She asked.

"Ah!" Leon glanced at the clock to the side, seeing that he didn't have long before he had to leave. "I do. I will need to go now. I will come back soon! Please don't overstrain yourself, big sister! And stay put! Chen will come check on you from time to time." With a wave, the boy hurried on his feet, heading out.

Sin watched him go, hearing him talking to one of the guards in Chinese.

 _ **That kid really grew up, huh.**_

 _He did. I'm a bit sad that I wasn't there to see him grow up in all those crucial years._

 _ **Why didn't you say it was you back when you saw him at the festival that night? I'm curious.**_

 _I'm surprised you would ask, Mei._ Sin turned to her right, seeing the window that was next to the bed was still the same as she remembered. It didn't allow to see the outside, but had a thin paper that covered it to allow for the natural light to come through.

 _Back then, it was during a mission. I couldn't just tell him that it was me. There would have been a huge fuss and those slave traders might have actually found me again._

 _ **Wouldn't the people of the village have saved you from them?**_

… _and I'd risk telling them that I was alive? That would have been quite disastrous considering I'm pretty much dead to everybody._

 _ **It sounds to me you just panicked when you saw him.**_

 _I can't fool you, can I?_

 _ **No, you can't.**_

Sin laughed lightly and leaned up against the wall, taking the pillow and hugging it, with the blankets over her feet. She closed her eyes.

 _ **Sin, why did you come back here in the first place? The very reason you left here, was—**_

 _I don't know. I,_ Sin hugged her knees, resting her head on her caps. _I just…flew here. I think…this was the only place I could go, where they wouldn't find me._

… _ **of course they wouldn't find you here. They don't even know who you are. But, knowing them, you won't be able to stay here long. They're probably going to search the world in hopes of finding you.**_

 _What 'hope'?_ Sin almost scoffed at that word. _Where's the hope in this when all they're going to do is kill me?_

… _ **you're right. There isn't any hope. Not for the Order, anyway.**_

The female tilted her head the other way, opening her eyes. She stared at the marble table sitting in the middle of the room.

 _Now that I've escaped that place, what am I going to do? I can't stay here for long. I don't want to endanger my family, the villagers and the city people. And…that, that Apocryphos thing…_

 _ **What about that ugly piece of shit?**_

 _I don't know what they're capable of. I don't even_ know _why it's after me! Do you remember what you said before? 'My Innocence is the only one that can really hurt you'. What do you mean by that? Does that mean that other Innocences apart from Seraphim are unable to hurt it?! Mei, please, give me an answer!_

… _ **I did say that, yes. It's true that other Innocences are unable to hurt it. It's because that thing exists solely to protect the Heart. The reason it's trying to kill you, too, is because it's trying to protect the Heart.**_

 _W-what…?_ Sin lifted her head from her knees and stared at the blanket at her feet with wide eyes. _But…I don't even know who possesses the Heart of Innocence!_

 _ **It doesn't matter whether or not you do or do not know. That thing will eliminate anything that has done something, or will do something, to betray the Heart, no questions asked.**_

 _Then…if that's so…what did Seraphim, and what did_ you, _ever do to deserve this?_

 _ **You really want to know the answer, don't you?**_

 _Please tell me!_

Mei sounded a sigh, _**alright, fine. Here's the long story short; I was the first accommodator of Seraphim and did something that they might have not liked. End of story.**_

 _What?! Mei, you're the first accommodator of Seraphim?!_ Sin literally shouted in her head, shocked. _How is it possible that you're still able to keep your consciousness in this Innocence?! What did you do?!_

 _ **Shut up, Sin! No more questions!**_

… _sorry._ Sin relaxed her shoulders. She had no reason to doubt Mei, but she knew that she had a lot of secrets.

 _This is one of them._ Sin thought, rubbing her temples. _If Mei's a memory that the Innocence was able to harbour for…who knows how long, then that would mean she knew every single accommodator that has ever been in possession of this Innocence, and know everything that happened to it._

 _But she said that she's the first accommodator. Does that mean she was part of the group of exorcists that defeated the Millennium Earl, along with the Heart, as the first users of Innocence, before the flood destroyed everything and the Noah were to repopulate the world? If it's like that, then how did she 'betray' the Heart, when she fought alongside them? This is so, very confusing._

 _So, why then, is Apocryphos targeting those who inherit the Innocence of Seraphim? Their grudge against the wielder of Seraphim is strong. Ah. Does that mean…if Apocryphos has been out to kill those who have this Innocence, then that would mean that it's killed all the other ones?_

Sin exhaled slowly. She wanted to figure out who exactly Mei was. It was proving a hard task.

 _I'll just take it slowly from the start._ She took in a deep, steady breath, trying to clear her thoughts for now. _The start of everything._

 _First off, I travelled with Momo, Clark, Eeez and Tyki. That was nearly 5 years._

 _Then, Lenalee saved me from an akuma, and I joined the Order because I'd thought it'd help protect my friends. At the Order, Kanda helped me get better at the sword and in general, fighting. I went on missions with those exorcists, and met many, such as Allen, Lavi, Bookman, Krory, Marie and Miranda. I even made friends with the Science Department, who were very, very kind. Hevlaska didn't want me in danger, and thus delayed my going out to the battlefield._

 _Next came the fight with the akuma and Noah. I was going to meet up with Allen, Lavi, Lenalee and Krory, and went with Toma to head to Romania. However, slave traders took an interest in me and kidnapped me, bringing me all the way to China. How long I was unconscious for, I do not know. There were others that had been taken along with me, and we all escaped in my hometown in the Tian province._

 _While in the Tian province, Leon somehow managed to single me out and recognise me, but I pushed him away. My main mission, now that I was there, was to find information on Cross. After finding his possible whereabouts, I bumped into Tyki, though familiar, I did not know it was actually him. We talked. I then headed to the red light district and found that Anita, the owner of the largest brothel, knew of Cross's whereabouts, and that he was going to Edo. That was when Cross gave me the message that I should not go to Edo._

 _Because of that, I stayed at the Asian branch and met those who worked there. They were all very kind. But, Bak was a little strange. I happened to find many Lenalee pictures when I accidently looked into one of the drawers to find a mission report. I pray that he won't die by Komui's hand._

 _During my time at the Asian branch, I fought For. Fighting against her…was scary. She was very strong, and I had blanked out at that time when she was going for my neck. I don't know what went on during that time, but from my knowledge now, Mei must have taken over and done something. For was injured badly. Not long after that, Allen had come into the Asia branch, and started to regain the Innocence that he had lost during his fight with Tyki._

 _Not long after, Tyki had sent an akuma to come for Allen. He defeated it, and we went into the Ark together, to go to Edo. When in Edo, we couldn't do much as the Earl had already scaled the place. However, we were back with our comrades. I got caught up in what happened, especially with the Earl thinking Lenalee's Innocence was the Heart. Due to that thinking, the pumpkin umbrella, Lero, transported her, and soon a lot of other exorcists including myself, to the crumbling Ark, and we were forced to fight our way to escape._

 _In that crumbling Ark, I found out that Tyki was a Noah. I was shocked, and I was honestly saddened by that fact, because it meant that we'd be enemies. He gave us the key to the door at the top of the tower, and we headed there. Obstacles along the way were the Noah who tried to wipe us out, with Kanda taking on the Noah of Wrath, Skinn Boric; Krory taking on the twins, David and Jasdero; and finally Allen taking on Tyki, and Road taking on Lavi. Lenalee, Choaji and I were forced to watch as everything unfolded._

 _Once Allen exorcised Tyki's inner Noah, he and Lavi were forced to fight due to the control Road had on his mind. Both of them were able to come out of that alive, and we were free to go to the door and escape to the world outside the Ark. I checked on Tyki while they went up to the portal, but just a bit after I did, something went wrong, and something had awakened from within him. Around that time, when things got dangerous and the door was destroyed. Mei had jumped in and saved me from him, and Tyki—or what Mei calls him—Joyd, had started fighting with us. Mei, who had taken temporary control over my body, had a moment with Joyd, before he went crazy and started to destroy everything._

 _Thankfully, Cross came and was able to stop him. The Earl made an appearance and offered to help me destroy the Order and left. After, Allen, doing some form of melody on the piano in a special room in the Ark, managed to stop the Ark from deteriorating, and helped save everyone who we left behind to fight the Noah._

 _We went back to the Order, and it was announced that Allen would be put under surveillance, and I would be put onto death row. Komui and Link told me that my Innocence was the thing that enabled it, and that it was a dangerous weapon that was hated by God and ate away at the user's mind, and that those accommodators before me were linked to the Noah._

 _Then, the invasion by Lulubell of the Noah happened. I had to force my way onto the battlefield and help fight the Noah, but ended up injured as a result. Mei and Rouvelier had an angry bout and I learnt Mei wasn't able to use 'all' her power._

 _Thus, I ended up in a dungeon as a result after that whole ordeal, with my sentence pushed forward. Before anything was able to happen, Apocryphos came to kill me because it wanted to protect the Heart, and I learnt that my Innocence was the only one able to hurt it._

 _I escaped from the Order, then ended up here. I remember passing out on the dirt road, and I guess Leon helped me come back here to get medical attention. He then left, and I was left to converse with Mei, finding out that she was the first accommodator of Seraphim (having told me that she was a memory up to that point), and that something happened a long time ago that formed that grudge between Apocryphos, the protector of the Heart, and herself._

Sin exhaled deeply, having summed up the events that had happened. _Of course, it's missing some details, but that's just the main._

Her eyes became half-lidded as she crossed her arms on top of her knees, leaning on it with her cheek. She stared at her side, tracing the pattern on the pillow with her eyes.

 _If Seraphim eats at my mind every time I use it…how much longer does that mean I have left?_

* * *

"I don't want to go…" Tyki complained, frowning. He leaned forward, his hands pressing on the balcony's rail arm in front of him. It was currently the evening, with the sun just falling.

"Even if you don't, the Earl wants you to go. It's for business." Road licked the lollipop she had just opened, jumping up onto the balcony and taking a seat on it.

"I haven't had a break in ages." The Noah muttered, taking out a cigarette. He placed it between his lips, but hesitated to light it, remembering that Sin had said she grew up in the area they were going to. In the end he put the cigarette away.

Road raised her eyebrow slightly, finding a difference in the way he was acting. "Tyki, don't you think this will be a good opportunity to find Sin?"

The wavy haired Noah looked over to his niece, seeing that she had a knowing smile on her face. "It might be." He ended up saying.

"She's Chinese, so she might be somewhere in China, where she's most familiar with, right?" Road just shrugged, "But she might not be, too. Who knows where she is right now."

The male leaned on his palm as he stared at the buildings around them. He sighed lightly, knowing that he'd have to go anyway.

 _It might be a good idea to search for her along the way, too. I guess it's a good thing the Earl wants her alive._

Road observed her uncle. He seemed to be acting normal, but she knew that something was up, and it bothered him, even if he didn't show it too much. Except, she wanted to ask about something different. "Tyki."

"Hm?" He turned back to her.

"Those dreams of yours…can you tell me about them again?" She asked. He had told her before, but she wanted to hear it again, just in case he left out any details.

"Again?" He sighed, but told her anyway. "The one from when I woke up, or the ones after that?"

"All of them."

"I can't remember all of them," He turned to face inside, "All of it is blurry, but I could hear someone's voice, and see their silhouette. They sounded happy, but then it all went red."

He recalled those dreams he had been having. They didn't happen all the time, but it was something that had started to happen after the Noah within him had awakened. They were a mixture of things, and he sometimes woke up feeling distressed, or happy, or sad. It confused him, and wondered if it had anything to do with his inner Noah, as he himself didn't feel anything in particular when he woke up.

Road deliberated, wondering if it had anything to do with Joyd. But, she didn't know. "Do you remember anything else?" She asked.

Tyki recalled, "I saw…wings?" He was unsure of this himself, but he felt like he really did see them.

Road hummed a long vowel. She jumped off the ledge and started walking inside, "Tyki, it's cold out here. Let's go back inside."

She was curious. She was sure that the Earl could shed some light on this, but she didn't know if he'd tell them.

"Road, I'll stay out here a little longer." Tyki informed, calling out to her. She glanced over her shoulder, giving him a small nod before going in.

Tyki inclined his head so that he was staring at the stars.

 _Speaking of dreams, the last one I had wasn't that._

He recalled it, knowing that this dream was something that he had experienced before. In that dream, he had attended a dinner party, and had gotten tired and gone outside to the balcony to feel the fresh air, finding that all he just wanted to do was go home.

During that time he was outside, someone else had left the dance floor, but he couldn't recall who, only knowing they were a lot younger than him. He remembered a conversation, but forgot its contents.

 _It was a girl, right?_ He remembered a dress, different from other types that those at the party wore, and then dancing with her for a little bit before she left.

 _I can't remember her face._ He rubbed his temples, finding that her face was marked out, and her voice was distorted.

 _That's not right._ He pushed himself off the ledge and started to go inside, stopping short of the door.

 _Why am I remembering this now?_ He stared at the handle for a long moment, before pushing aside the thought, going in.

* * *

"Oh, dear—!" Tears spilled from a middle-aged woman's eyes as she wailed, hugging Sin.

"Where have you been this whole time?!" Sin looked up, seeing her father scolding her with a tearful expression. He sniffed and turned around to wipe his eyes, trying to save his pride.

"Please, please don't leave us ever again!" Sin's mother, hugged her harder around the shoulders.

The 19 year old smiled, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She hugged her mother back, pressing her face against her mother's long brown hair, the familiar scent of tea and the fragrance of flowers clinging to her. She felt an extra weight go around her shoulders, finding that her father had come and hugged them.

"Father, mother, big sister is injured." Leon, who had led them here, spoke.

Gasping, their father and mother got off their daughter. The mother, Yue, sat beside her at the edge of the bed, whilst father, Yang, took a seat at the marble round table.

Sin was glad to have seen her parents again, but if word got out that she was alive, she wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Father, mother, please keep all this a secret from the people." Sin requested boldly. She stared at them with clear eyes.

"Why is that?" Yang questioned. "Did something happen?"

Her father had short, styled black hair similar to those in the higher class, and wore Chinese styled clothes that were reminiscent of a long tunic. His eyes were a blue that wasn't too dark nor too light. He had a kind expression.

Her mother was a beautiful woman. She had long brown hair that she braided to the side, which she normally only did at home. Even though she was in her 50's, her fair skin and pink coloured eyes remained the same as they did from when she was young. She wore a traditional qipao, one with few layers and was a simple, loose dress. She didn't look 50, but rather, her 30's.

"Yes, something did happen. If word gets spread that I am alive, it will cause a ruckus." Sin informed.

Leon watched as his parents exchanged glances, wondering what to do. In the end, they agreed, and promised to keep quiet about it.

"If you say it is like that, then it is most likely like that." Father nodded once, "If it is like that, I will inform our maids and guards of this matter."

Yang left.

"Look at you, you've grown up!" Yue placed her hands on either side of Sin's face, inspecting her features closely. She smiled, "You've grown into a beautiful lady."

"No, not really." Sin laughed, trying to pull her mother's hands away from her face.

Leon just watched them, taking a seat at the marble table. He leaned on his palm, seeing how happy his mother was that her daughter was back. She had worried about her the whole time, and along with father and himself, they were devastated. However, they didn't give up that she was alive, somewhere, even if half of them believed those rumours and the official statement to be true.

It was currently the evening, and his parents had returned from their trip to the other province as they were invited by some nobles that lived there to attend a tea party. They were shocked to hear from Leon that Sin had come back, and were in disbelief until he showed them to her.

 _The longer I look at them the more they look alike…_ Leon mused to himself. _No, she used to look a little like mother a long time ago. Now she looks quite different, but still, very beautiful._

Leon remembered the times when his sister was overwhelmed by people and didn't know the reason why. It was hilarious to watch at the start, but she didn't want to be anymore, and thus tried to stray away by doing things that would allow others to not just focus on appearance.

 _That really succeeded well, didn't it, big sis?_ Leon smiled to himself, finding that her success made him happy. _Just look at the people._

He was the younger brother, and even though he was the heir to the family, he was always hiding behind Sin, letting her do everything and watching how she did it. When she was gone it was hard for him to adjust.

"I'm surprised that neither you nor Leon has inherited the same eyes as me." Mother laughed lightly. "Tell me about what happened! I heard from Leon that you went to travel."

"I did go travel. I travelled with a group of people that were my second family. They were very kind people." Sin smiled, holding her mother's hands. "There was a child there around the same age as Leon, so it reminded me of him."

"I see. If that is so, I would love to meet them one day and give them my thanks for being friends and taking care of my daughter." Yue grinned and squeezed her hands.

"I am sure that they would love that." Sin smiled small. She knew though, that it was probably never going to happen.

"Ah, I just had a thought. Why not surprise Li Jun that you're alive and well? He was worried sick about you!" Mother smiled at Sin, hoping she shared the same enthusiasm for her fiancé.

Sin's expression darkened and she shook her head, pulling her hands away from her mother. "N-no, mother. Please don't." She shook her head once again, her hands starting to tremble just remembering him, "I don't want anything to do with him anymore!" She clasped her hands together, hiding them beneath the blanket.

Leon's brows rose, surprised by her. Last time he remembered, they were good friends, and Li Jun was set to marry her due to the agreement between their parents, mainly on Li Jun's behalf.

 _Now that I think about it, it was at their engagement party that big sister disappeared._ Leon was a smart child, and had figured a couple of things out.

"Are you scared to marry him, dear?" Yue placed a hand on Sin's shoulder, but Sin placed it back to where her mother's lap was.

"That's not it, mother! Jun…he's…I don't want to associate myself with him!" Sin was scared that by saying this, it will cause her mother to get angry. But, she couldn't just stand by idly while things went on in this direction.

Her mother was taken aback, placing a hand over her chest as she stared at her daughter in disbelief. Her eyes softened when she noticed the change in her daughter.

"If you do not want to marry him, that's fine. However, you will need a plausible reason not to." Mother seemed to understand something that Leon did not.

"Mother, you are forgetting that I will not be staying here for any longer than necessary." Sin reminded. "If I stay here for too long—" She nearly choked on her words, before trying again, "You will need to still think of me as dead."

With a tiny sigh, her mother placed a hand on Sin's head, "Daughter of mine, I know that. But, if you happen to want to stay longer, that is fine, too. I'm very happy to have my baby girl back."

Leon, who was prepping tea that he had brought in earlier at that time, came over to hand tea to his mother and sister. They took it with a nod of thanks to the boy, who was just listening in on the conversation.

Sin took a sip of tea, finding that it was the perfect temperature for drinking.

"So, tell me, did you find someone you fancy while travelling in that group?"

Sin choked on the tea she was drinking, placing the cup down beside her to try and stop herself. Her mother laughed and placed her cup down before patting Sin's back, trying to help.

Leon wondered why she had choked on her tea. _It's not like it's too hot or something_.

"Mother, w-what kind of question is that?!" Sin exclaimed, gently hitting her chest. She had just stopped coughing. "I was travelling, not finding suitors!"

"That you may be, but it seems to me that you rather dislike Li Jun compared to whomever you were comparing them to." Mother nonchalantly shrugged, taking a sip of her tea.

"Mother! I was not comparing Jun to anybody else!" Sin had a whole other reason for not liking Li Jun. "Let's not talk about this! Please tell me what has happened to the city and village!"

She has come to hate talking about Li Jun. They were childhood friends and grew up together, but took completely different turns in life.

"Alright, alright." Yue chuckled lightly.

Father came back in and joined in on the conversation, having picked where things were going. Leon even chipped in, telling his sister of what he achieved, and what he was hoping to achieve.

Sin felt incredibly happy that she was with her family again.

 _It has been 5 years._

* * *

The following day, Sin's injuries had nearly fully healed. It was almost a miraculous recovery, and Chen, the maid who had changed her bandages, had been incredibly sceptical of her own eyes, but said nothing of it.

"I can walk around just fine, now, though it does pain me a little." Sin mumbled to herself, standing up and lighting playing around with her limbs. As she did so, a shiver went down her spine.

She stopped what she was doing and rubbed her arms, feeling Goosebumps.

 _What is this? It's not even cold._ She rubbed her arms so that they would go away. Once it did, she felt her mind go blank for the moment, then almost 'reappear'.

She fell silent and stood still for a few moments, wondering what the hell was happening. Thinking it was nothing, she headed out of the current room she was in, which was the guest room, and quietly sneaked over to the one room that was previously hers.

 _I should quickly head back before Leon notices…_ Sin tip toed, making no sound. She glanced around, seeing that no one but the guards were around. However, they were not facing her way.

To the others, she was still healing, but currently she was able to move around like she previously did, though she didn't want to put too much strain on herself.

 _If Leon heard of this he'd make such a huge fuss…_ Sin sighed and headed to her room, which was on the other side of the estate. _At time like this I wish the estate wasn't so big. It's a pain to get to._

 _ **You could just fly there.**_

 _Good morning to you too, Mei. I can't fly there because it's too conspicuous._

 _ **Whatever.**_

As Sin tip toed through the house, Leon, on the other hand, was preparing for the visitors that were coming around the afternoon.

He tapped his pen tip against the piece of paper, wondering what he should serve them. He was going to have to send out the refreshments according to when they come, and was in charge of the menu for that particular session. The chef was going to take care of the dinner menu.

 _What should I put? European refreshments like scones and jam? Or tea and milk? I don't like milk and tea together, though…or with any sugar,_ the young Chinese sighed and set down the pen.

 _Well, I'll just see what we've got._

* * *

"You think it's fine we're going with only a few servants?" Road mentioned, entering the Ark.

Tyki followed her in, shrugging. "I don't know. It's not like we need them anyway."

"It's only because we need the 'look', isn't it?" Road sighed. "But they're useful."

 _For what? We're going to China in the Ark. How are they useful, exactly?_ Tyki deadpanned. He heard the steps of two akuma servants behind him, each carrying a suitcase of light luggage, who were behaved well according to the Earl's wishes. He didn't mind them so much, but it was just strange having them go with them even when everything would be taken care of.

"Daddy will be waiting for you at home, my dear Road!" Sheril, Tyki's brother and minister to a country, popped his head into the Ark as Road and Tyki went in. "Tyki! Take care of her!"

"You don't need to worry about that." Tyki wanted to walk away from his overprotective and strange brother, but he couldn't really.

He went ahead to make sure he didn't hear anything else, following Road's quick steps.

"Why so fast today?" Tyki questioned. Normally her walking speed would be slower.

"It's because the Huang family serves the most delicious Chinese food!" Road grinned. She wasn't having a lollipop, holding out her stomach for the feast that was dinner, and the light refreshments before that. "They even do yummy European Chinese fusion snacks!"

Tyki sweat dropped. All his niece could think about was food. Maybe she was just hungry.

He did agree with her that the household they were visiting had very delicious food. He hadn't had it for quite a while, since the last time he went to this household was over 8 years ago. He was surprised he even remembered how good it was. He knew Road went sometimes with Sheril to discuss the trade agreements, but he never really went since he had other jobs.

"They're probably even yummier than last time!" Road's eyes glistened with expectation and happiness.

"When was the last time you went?" Tyki questioned.

"A few months ago." Road did a twirl, "The boy there was the one in charge of the menu! He was young but he knew how to please the tastebuds!"

"But he wasn't the one cooking?" Tyki muttered.

"Doesn't matter! The chef is very good, too! Let's get the Earl to hire them!" Road clapped her hands together happily.

"I don't think you should do that…" Tyki trailed off.

"Shouldn't I?" Road looked over her shoulder, then her lips curled into a knowing smile, "Is it because they're part of the imperial family?"

"Maybe."

"It might reflect badly on us, maybe." Road laughed and went to one of the doors, placing her hand on the handle. "I guess we'll have to stay on their good terms, then. Stealing their most talented chef would be bad."

Tyki watched as she went through the door. He followed through, then the akuma servants did. They ended up on the outskirts of the city. They'd have to walk to where the estate was.

"I should've just used my doors." Road muttered.

"Why didn't you, then?" Tyki asked, walking ahead.

Road followed after him, matching his leisurely stride. "I felt like using the Ark this time!"

The male didn't have a response to that.

Road went forward, directing the way since she knew where. Tyki vaguely remembered a huge estate, but since it had been so long, he didn't remember much. He glanced around, finding that the environment was quite familiar. It then occurred to him that that was the very place he had seen Sin after she left the travelling group for her own job.

"We're nearly there!" Road danced along her steps as she walked by a large wall.

Looking up, the wall was noticeably taller than he was. He was quite astounded at how tall it was. Instead of it being like a fence in Europe, this was all made of solid material. He kept walking, and realised that it was quite long.

Road hummed a light tune the entire time, unfazed by how long and tall the wall was. Finally, they reached the entrance, which seemed to be at the middle section of the walls. There were 3 guards, all wielding spears among other weapons, as well as armour.

"This place is huge!" Tyki realised that it was larger than the home they had back in Europe.

"It is! After all, they're pretty much royalty!" Road winked and headed to the guards to tell them of the situation.

After a moment of conversing, the guards let them in, with one of them going with them.

As Tyki went in, his eyes went wide at how much different the place was to what he knew. It was huge, as well, and the courtyard was almost like a Japanese Zen garden, but different. The exterior of the rooms were all Chinese styled, but some parts were influenced by the West, such as the design aspect, though it was very little.

 _How could I have forgotten about this?_ Tyki wondered. It left him in awe. _Is this what being royalty is like?_

"Ah! Lord Mikk, Lady Road! You've arrived!" Leon came out from one of the rooms, having been called by the guard. He did a little bow to them to show respect before leading them to a meeting room to the right wing.

 _He's small…like Eeez,_ Tyki noted, following behind the male. He found some familiarity with the boy, but he couldn't put his finger on what.

Road and the boy were exchanging small talk, before Leon's attention went to Tyki.

"Is this your first time to this estate, Lord Mikk?" Leon questioned with an innocent smile. One of the maids opened the doors to the room, allowing them in.

"I've been here before, but it's been a while since I've been here." The handsome male responded. He sat down on one of the long cushioned seats that surrounded a rectangular marble coffee table. Road sat beside him, across from Leon.

"I'll will prepare Jasmine tea." The maid from before headed out to prepare.

"Mother will be here soon, as she had a previous engagement." Leon started, "Let's get right to it. About the trades…"

* * *

Going through her room was quite nostalgic. She was astounded by how pretty much nothing changed. It seemed everything was just cleaned, too, and all that she remembered, was there.

 _Nothing has changed…at all._ Sin glanced around the room. It was bigger than the guest room and held more things, but most of them were gifts and clothes from people she had met, along with some things she bought here and there.

Going over to her dresser, she pulled opened the drawer to find the box to her hairpin, the one that houses her Innocence. It was a precious item that was given to her by her parents to celebrate her birth.

Leon also had an item gifted to him when he was born, which was an ornamental pocket watch.

Sin picked up the velvet box, pulling out the cushion that had come to protect the pin. There was a small note at the bottom of the box. She took it out, unfolding it to read it.

" _I want to escape this reality_." Sin's lips curled up into a small, but sad smile.

Sin remembered that note she wrote. It had been a very, very long time, nearly a decade, since she wrote it.

She only stood there, silent, and staring at the note. She saw tear stain marks, some of them near the middle of the words, but not so close as to smudge the writing.

With a small sigh, she folded it and placed it back into the box, covering it with the cushion and putting it back where it was.

"Lady Sin, should you not be resting now?" Chen, her current attendee, pushed opened the door to the room.

Sin turned to her, seeing that she had her hands on her hips, possibly annoyed that Sin had went out of her room and was not there when she was supposed to.

"Sorry, Chen. I just…wanted to see…" She trailed off, hands falling to her sides.

The maid in her 30's sighed with hopelessness, going in and closing the door. "Take all the time that you want, my Lady." She added after a moment, "We also have guests from Europe, so please, it would do you good if you were to stay hidden."

"From Europe…" Sin recalled Leon had said as such. "They are discussing trades, yes?"

Chen nodded. She was the 2nd maid in charge, and thus she had a broader knowledge than other servants.

"They will also be staying the night, so if you are to stay hidden, please, do try to not go into any other rooms than your own, and the current guest room you are staying." Chen informed.

"I will."

* * *

Yue had just finished a prior engagement and meeting that had run overtime in another room. She led out the guests, who were some small business owners in the city, bidding them goodbye after their discussion.

"Madam Yue,"

"Hm?" Yue turned back around to face the entrance of the estate. She was going to have to meet with the family from Europe, so she would have liked to hurry along, but it seemed that things were stopping her from just that.

"Ah! Li Jun, dear! How are you?" Yue smiled, greeting the 26 year old.

Li Jun was a handsome male with medium-short length black hair swept to the side, eyes a light brown and a sharp jawline. He was tall and had a sturdy build.

He smiled warmly, "It is nice to see you, Madam. I am sorry to drop by unannounced."

"That is fine, Li Jun. However, I have some guests to entertain, thus, I am not able to have tea with you." Yue spoke apologetically.

"I see. Shall I come back another time?"

"Yes, that may be the best option. Sorry, Li Jun."

"Thank you, Madam Yue. I will be back," Li Jun nodded with respect to the woman before embarking off with his two retainers.

The guards closed the doors as Yue headed to the right wing where Leon and the guests were. Knocking gently on the door before going in, she greeted the two from a noble family of Europe, and sat down beside Leon to converse with them.

Just right after, the refreshments and tea had arrived, being placed on the table. White napkins were placed on their lap to avoid any spillages or stains.

"Please, help yourself." Leon motioned to the tower of treats and snacks.

"Lady Road, it has been a while! It is nice to see you again." Yue smiled warmly at the smaller girl, seeing her help herself to the refreshments, which included fusions between cultures and also traditional sweets from China.

"It is very nice to see you again, Madam Yue!" Road smiled at the woman, recognising her instantly.

Yue's eyes flickered to the male Noah. She vaguely remembered someone like him, but she didn't really recognise him all that much because it had been too long.

"You are Lord Mikk, yes?" She questioned.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Madam Yue." As he would in Europe, he'd be forced to grab their hand and kiss it, but here where they were meeting over a table of food, it didn't seem necessary.

"How are discussions of the trade agreement?" Yue turned to her son, expecting some details. Leon explained, and thus, they continued their meeting.

… _Road really likes their food,_ Tyki sweat dropped, glancing over at his niece. She was gobbling down whatever she could, but didn't forget to eat them elegantly.

Tyki helped himself too, and found that it was quite delicious, yet different from Europe's food.

"Is it to your liking, Lady Road, Lord Mikk?" Leon smiled.

"It's delicious!" Road exclaimed enthusiastically with a grin.

"It is." Tyki smiled.

"I'm glad." Leon pressed a hand over his chest, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. "Please remember that we still do have dinner tonight, do try not to eat too much." It was mainly directed at Road.

She pouted.

* * *

Night came. Chen had updated Sin on the news of the guests that were from Europe. It seemed that they were staying in the guest rooms next to hers, with each one getting their own room.

"It can't be helped that their rooms are right beside yours, Lady Sin." Chen bowed her head in an almost apologetic manner.

"It's fine, Chen. I don't mind it so much." Sin told her to raise her head.

 _I can't do anything about it, anyway. We have guest rooms all around the estate, but those ones are all scattered and are not in a row. These three are the only ones that are situated in a row._ Sin had almost forgot the layout of the estate.

"I'll escort you back to your room now, Lady Sin." Chen opened the door, glancing around to see if anybody was around. When she found that the coast was clear, she motioned for Sin to come, escorting her to her room.

Chen opened the door to her room and stood outside as she went in.

Tyki and Road had just finished up their stroll outside after the feast and had just entered, having looked at the festivities. They were accompanied by Leon.

Coming back into the estate, since the row of guest rooms were to the left of the entrance, they saw someone going into one of the rooms, with Chen waiting outside.

"I will prepare a bath for you. I will be back soon." Chen closed the door and headed to one of the many bathrooms.

Leon knew that it was Sin, but said nothing of it. It was around 9pm, and thus a male and female servant made sure to help the guests wash up, with them helping them to their rooms, which they noticed to be next to the other guest.

As soon as Tyki and Road had entered their room to prepare for their wash ups, Chen was back to escort Sin to her one. She passed by their rooms and followed after Chen, not knowing which one she was using.

"Chen, what should I do?" Sin questioned, sinking deeper into the hot spring. It was a manmade hot spring that allowed for cooler and hotter waters, based on the latest technology. It was similar to the Order's.

"What do you mean, Lady Sin?" Chen questioned. She was standing on the side. She was glad to serve Sin again, but she wondered what she was doing now, as she seemed to be in a desperate situation.

About to tell her, Sin refrained from doing so. Instead, she changed the course of conversation, "It's been a long time since I have been back here, hasn't it? What has changed from since then?" She had heard all of it from her direct family's side, but didn't hear of any from the servants.

Noticing the change of topic, Chen went along with it. "Master Leon has grown and Master Li Jun has come by frequently to have tea and stay in good relations. Madam Yue and Master Yang are still lively, and have been awaiting your return. They did not believe you were dead. Neither did Leon nor the servants and I."

Sin pressed her hot hands to her cold cheeks, heating them up. "I am amazed that you all believed that I was alive."

"Those who know you for a while will know that you are not one that will die so simply." Chen cracked a smile.

Staring at her for a moment, Sin laughed lightly, as it was not true at all. She had been in so many near death and dire situations since she left the estate.

"You forget, Chen, that that is completely out of my hands to decide."

 _ **And you're forgetting that I won't let you die.**_

 _Shush, Mei._

* * *

Sin brushed her hair, sighing. Chen had retired to go sleep, and thus she was alone. Placing the brush back down onto the dresser, she headed to the marble table, taking a sip of the just-made hot tea and water from Chen.

Now that she had time for herself and wasn't distracted by things such as earlier that day, she could think of what she needed to do, and what her current predicaments were.

 _How long do you think the Order is going to take to find me?_ Sin questioned, asking Mei.

 _ **If you are in one place, then possibly in a week or so average.**_

 _Where would I go after? I don't have anywhere else to be._

 _ **You can go anywhere. Why don't you disguise yourself as a fair lady and go find a suitor then live a life in luxury? Then you can hide all you want.**_

 _No thank you. I'd rather live by myself than live a loveless marriage._

 _ **You might even fall in love,**_ Mei spoke nonchalantly.

Sin sighed with irritation, a _ll the people I have met from high status households are those who only judge by status, wealth and beauty. Even the one who I thought was not that, was all about that. There was only one noble that I have met that turned out to not be like that, but, I do not remember them._

 _ **What about those who are not of higher status? Like that group of yours; Tyki, Momo, Clark and Eeez.**_

… _they will be burdened by my title. I don't want them to get caught up in a world like this. Nobles are very…interesting pieces of work._

Mei held back in saying a couple of things, such as the Noah family actually being a family of nobles led by the Lord Millennium. She wanted to see her reaction when she finally finds out.

 _But, I know not everyone is like that, so I need to keep an open mind. Trusting people can become an issue in itself._

 _ **Sin—**_

Mei stopped abruptly, feeling someone's presence.

 _Mei?_

 _ **Sin, there's someone here.**_

Sin looked up, glancing around the room. She didn't feel anyone's presence there, but then she heard the opening of the door, and the sound of the lock that locked it.

Sin tensed, hearing footsteps that went towards her.

 _Who?_ She turned slowly. It was night, and many of the people around the estate would already be asleep, or going to bed. Everyone would either knock or say something before they came in, but this person did not. _How did they know I was staying in here? How did they get into the estate?_

When she saw the one who stood before her, her blue eyes widened and her blood ran cold. She clenched her trembling hands into fists.

"I knew you would come back, my dear _Cynthia._ "


	18. Chapter 17

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #17

* * *

Leon paced back and forth his room, thinking. He had heard from his mother that Li Jun had dropped by unannounced during Lord Mikk and Lady Road's meeting.

He wasn't able to sleep, as something was weighing on his mind, especially his sister's behaviour when their mother asked her if she was willing to see Li Jun again.

 _She said she didn't want to?_ Leon raised a brow.

He was 12, but he was far smarter and mature than a lot of others his age. That may be because of his duties and education as prince and the weight of the city and possibly, the nation's people on his shoulders.

 _Big sister looked afraid, but why? On the night of sister's engagement party, they got along just fine, I remember. What happened?_ Li Jun pressed his fist to his lips, his elbow held by the opposite hand.

 _But Li Jun is a very nice person, much like sister. Maybe sister doesn't want to see him because she boycotted the party and went missing for all this time?_

 _Hm, maybe that is it. Li Jun's reputation must have suffered due to that, and that must have reflected badly on him, so she doesn't want to face him._

Leon nodded at the thought, finding that it was very plausible. But then, he abruptly stopped his pacing, realising that that was not possible.

 _Big sister would not do that. She faces people head on. So if not to save face, then what?_

* * *

Tyki was just staring up at the bed's ceiling. It was separate to the actual ceiling, he noticed, much like the beds where he stayed as a noble. Even in the darkness, he could tell by the moon's light, that it was red.

It wasn't too late by his standards, even after washing up. It was only around 11, after all.

 _Normally we'd sleep around this time to get up early,_ Tyki reminisced. He sighed to himself, sitting up. As much as he'd like to look outside, there was a thin piece of paper blocking his way, and he didn't know whether or not he was even allowed to rip it off.

 _Better not,_ he decided against it, leaning against the wall next to the window. He wasn't going to sleep just yet.

He was still in the process of thinking about what to do with Sin. He had already made up his mind, and was quite thankful the Earl didn't ask for anything worse.

 _No more friends dying,_ Tyki sat cross legged, relieved. His stiff shoulders relaxed.

As he sat there in silence, his thoughts dwelled on the past. He had a lot of fun, regardless whether it was with his miner buddies or being a Noah and doing jobs for the Earl. He thought them equally as fun as each other. Yet, along the way, after Sin joined, he enjoyed himself even more with his minor buddies.

Back then, Sin was a 'boy'. How he didn't question it was something that was unknown to him for a long time, but now that he had time to think by himself without anyone interrupting, he realised something he already knew long ago.

 _I knew, but feigned ignorance,_ Tyki almost wanted to laugh at himself for being pathetic.

He didn't want to believe that this 'he' was actually a 'she', as he himself would know that believing it to be a 'she' would mean that he couldn't stop himself. But once she confirmed it, it was like a load was released from his shoulders.

He let out a light chuckle, shaking his head and pressing his hand to his forehead to sweep his hair back, almost in exasperation at himself.

 _This was why I didn't want to believe it._

* * *

"Have they found her yet?" Reever headed to Komui's office with a couple of clipboards, all for the documentation.

Komui, with bags under his eyes due to overworking, stress and worry, sighed deeply as his head hit the table, nearly knocking him out.

"Komui?!" Reever headed over with the coffee Lenalee had made, trying to wake the Chief up. "I've got some coffee from Lenalee!"

"Coffee from Lenalee?!" Just like that, he lifted himself from the desk, his eyes gleaming as he took the mug away from the scientist, sculling it down like he had just exited a desert.

"Ah…" Reever waited for the Chief, seeing his expression bright up, before going back to the expressionless frown from before.

"No, we haven't found her yet." Komui placed the mug down, taking his glasses off. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. "We don't have a clue as to where she'd be. I don't think we even know who she _is_."

"What do you mean, Komui?" Reever placed the clipboards on the messy desk. "She's Sin Diae, right?"

"Yes, that's what it says in her official documentation." Komui, having had her documents at hand, took them out from the first drawer to his right. He gave it to Reever.

"Yeah, it says right here."

"Don't you think it's strange? Is her name really 'Sin Diae'?" Komui put on his glasses. "In cases of Lenalee and I, our surnames are 'Lee', a common Chinese surname. But Sin Diae, 'Diae', that's not Chinese."

"She could have been adopted?" Reever suggested. It wasn't a common occurrence, but it was possible. "Or she could have been from an orphanage."

"Diae isn't even a proper word. Did she forge her identity when entering the Order?" The second sentence, Komui thought aloud. He folded his arms and leaned back on his chair, his thinking face on.

"What…?" Reever was surprised. "But why would she do that?"

"…that's what I'd like to know." Narrowing his eyes, the Chief sighed and rocked forward, his cheek hitting the table as he rested lazily, tired, "But that's only a guess. I don't really know."

"Look, I know you're worried about her. We _all_ are." Reever shoved his hands into his pockets, looking away, "But what _can_ we do? If she gets caught, she's dead! We can't _do_ anything!"

Hearing the distress in Reever's voice made Komui's expression scrunch to a pained one.

"The only way for her to live…is…" Reever almost wanted to choke on his words. He couldn't say them out loud, because it was just too cruel.

"Reever, why don't you go check up on the other exorcists and see how they're doing?" Komui pulled himself away from his desk and gave Reever a small smile.

The scientist only pressed his lips into a thin line, knowing that Komui wanted to get his mind off things and give him a distraction.

"Alright."

The Cardinal, who stood on the opposite side of the door to Komui's office, had heard everything. His eyes narrowed as his lips curled downwards, an anger surging inside of him. He walked away from the office, bent on finding Sin before everyone else does.

He hissed, heading down the nearly empty foyer, "Not just the Order, but the Noah too."

 _She_ must _die._

* * *

Tyki glanced towards his door, to the right. While basking in the silence of the night, he heard something from outside, and pretty close to his room too.

 _This room's next to that other guest. Did someone just go in and lock the door?_ Tyki raised a brow. He was sure he heard the sound of a door opening and the closing of a lock.

He heard some voices, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. The voices were neutral at first, but then someone raised their voice, and there seemed to be something getting hit, and then sound of something hitting the ground.

Both brows raising, the Noah wondered what was going on in the other room. It didn't sound as if they were having a good conversation.

In the end, Tyki shrugged. He didn't want to get involved with other people's business.

 _It'll stop soon anyway,_ he lay down, staring back up at the bed's ceiling with his arms behind his head.

* * *

"J-Jun…" Sin's eyes were wide with a fearful expression. She had to clench her hands to stop them from shaking, but even then, she was scared.

"I knew you were alive, Cynthia. It took me a long time to finally find you. And what do you know?" Li Jun took a step forward, arms raised in a nonchalant manner, "You walked right back to where you used to live. If I had known that, I wouldn't have even tried finding you." His brown eyes gleamed as he took another step closer.

Sin slid off her seat, shakily standing up. She slowly inched away from the incoming male, incredibly cautious. "Why…are you here? How did you know I was here?" She tried to keep her emotions in check, but she knew, that it would be hard to.

Since it was the dead of the night, she had to keep her voice down, or else the guests in the rooms beside hers, as well as everyone else, would awaken. If they saw Li Jun in her room, they would have mistaken it as something else, due to the fact that he had a very good reputation.

"Because I was keeping watch, that's what." Li Jun leaned forward, coming just inches away from Sin's face, "I kept watch on this estate, this city, for years, waiting for your return. And guess what? You came back." His voice had become lower, the tone mocking her.

She clenched her teeth together, searching the man's eyes. She could never forget what happened on that night 5 years ago, at their engagement party.

"Li Jun. Get out." Sin pointed to the door, brows furrowing together. Her other hand clenched the side of her pants, her knuckles going white. Her voice was not nearly steady enough, as the noble only scoffed at her.

"Me? Get out? You don't sound like you mean it." He leaned closer so that his head was right next to hers, "You know you want me to stay." He took her pointing arm, kissing her palm, a smile on his lips.

Sin pulled her hand away, disgusted. "Don't touch me! I told you to get out! Go!"

"No can do, _Cynthia_."

The way he said her name gave her terrifying chills down her spine. It was just like _that_ time. Her toes curled under her feet as her foot slid backwards, trying to get as far away from the noble as possible.

He grabbed her roughly by the cheeks with one hand, his expression and voice turning stone cold. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her face. "Listen here, bitch. Just because you're part of the prestigious and imperial Huang family that doesn't mean I'll treat you the same way as every other little wuss does."

Sin glared at him with glassy eyes. Even she didn't know this side of him until that night 5 years ago. He had been keeping it at bay with a façade of niceness and gentlemanliness, fooling everyone around him, including his childhood 'friend'.

"Now, shall we announce our engagement again, _dear_ fiancée?" He smiled. That only made Sin push him away, hard enough that he hit into the marble table with a loud thump.

Li Jun winced slightly, feeling the impact hit him. His eyes narrowed at the female, finding that she had a look of an incredible blend of fear and hatred in her eyes. This only made him hunger for her more. He saw her moving away, trying to get away. He wasn't going to let her.

"Look here, is that how to treat your future husband, princess?" Li Jun leaped at her, pinning her down to the ground, his larger body looming over hers.

Sin gasped as she hit the ground, nearly hitting her head. She tried to roll away, but his arms trapped her in, along with his crazy gaze. With one of his arms, he reached to his belt, pulling out a small, sharp knife. He placed it against her cheek.

"Now, be a good girl and submit to me." His voice went low and husky, drawing circles of the blunt edge of the knife.

Sin's breathing had started to accelerate. She hated where this was going. It reminded her of the events that had happened for her to leave her home.

With her hands, Sin grabbed the knife, pushing it away from her. She could feel the blade cutting through her skin as they struggled. "Li Jun, I'm not marrying you! I will _never!_ You're not worthy of the Huang name!"

"Me? Not worthy?" Li Jun laughed, pushing the blade into her shoulder. Blood seeped from the stab wound as Sin gasped in shock and pain, feeling him twisting the knife. She led out a strangled cry, trying to get him off her.

"How about you SAY THAT AGAIN?!" Jun's voice became louder as he pushed it into her shoulder, words laced with anger. With his other hand, he grabbed her face again, digging his nails into her cheeks and drawing blood. "YOU DARE SAY THAT?!"

Sin felt like she wanted to scream and cry. She managed to kick him in the crown jewels before punching him in the face, sending him into the dresser. The sound of glass breaking was loud, and his groan could be heard from the other side of the room.

Sin panted, eyes wide with many mixed emotions. She stood up, her face scrunching up in pain as she pulled out the knife, throwing it somewhere where he couldn't reach. Her heavy breathing continued as her trembling, cut hand went over her stab wound, feeling the blood coming to stain her clothes.

 _ **Sin. Do you want me to take care of this?**_

 _M-Mei…_

Mei, having been residing inside Sin for so long, had witnessed everything that happened in her life, including the situation with Li Jun. Needless to say, she absolutely hated him and everything about him.

 _N-no…I'm sorry, but I can't let you out anymore. I'm…I can take care of this._

Mei was silent. She had overheard her host's thoughts; that the longer she used her, the more she herself would get corrupted.

 _ **Alright, fine. But don't call on me when you need help, you got it?**_

Sin watched as Li Jun pushed himself up off the ground, holding his shoulder. He shook his head, ridding it of the glass shards, before touching his mouth, feeling blood.

"You…injured my face….?" Li Jun's eyes went wide before he started to laugh like a lunatic. He abruptly stopped after standing up, his eyes becoming half-lidded, sending a death stare at the girl. "What am I going to say to the others once they see my face? Huh? HUH?!"

He stomped over, ignoring the blood that was coming down from his head wound.

Sin watched as he did, a lump forming in her throat. She tried to get away, but he only followed her, his walking speed increasing. Sin yelped, nearly tripping over her own feet when she manoeuvred away from his hand that had come to grab her shoulder.

"Get away from me!" She cried, grabbing one of the marble chairs. She held it in her defence, blood seeping down her arm from her hand injury.

Jun stopped for the moment, seeing that, because of the stab wound, she wasn't able to hold it properly. He chuckled to himself before all traces of laughter was wiped off his face. He went over to her and grabbed two of the chair's legs, ripping it from her hands and throwing it against the wall.

Sin stared at the dent it made in the wall, then quickly reacted to Jun reaching for her neck, slapping his hand away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She shouted, wincing at the pain from her cut hand. She didn't care about people waking up anymore. She wanted this to stop. She wanted to never see Li Jun's face ever again.

"Don't touch?"

Sin couldn't even react quickly enough when he kicked her in the gut, the impact causing her to get thrown to the wall. The wind was knocked out of her as she slid down the wall, coughing hoarsely.

"Are you even listening to yourself, Cynthia?" Jun had come over to where she was the next second, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her up so that she faced him, "Do you want me to kill you?"

Sin felt tears sting her eyes as she remembered this exact moment from a few years ago, where she had long hair. However, she didn't cry. She didn't want to cry, not in front of such a monster.

Ignoring the pain in her shoulder and hand, she grabbed onto his wrist and did a 360 turn before kicking him in the face, just like Kanda taught her. His grip on her hair loosened, but when he went flying back, a few strands of her hair was ripped out. He had skidded back to the bed frame, clipping the marble table's legs on the way, causing him to cry out in pain.

Sin stood up, holding her shoulder as she panted heavily. All the fighting in the last few days had taken its toll on her.

Suddenly, she heard a few knocks on the door, accompanied by a, "Is everything alright?"

Sin's blue eyes widened when she heard the voice. However, before she was able to speak, Li Jun had gotten up and grabbed a marble chair, throwing it at Sin. She gasped, dodging it and letting it hit the wall, running to the door. She could still see the shadow on the outside, signifying the person was still there. They knocked again and repeated the question.

Before Sin could make it to the door, Li Jun had caught up to her, throwing himself at her. She was close by the door, and thus, broke the door down as he went down with her, his hands around her throat. She grabbed his hands and tried to pull them away, but to no avail, and in the end, she gave him a good knee to the groin. He let go temporarily, allowing her to somersault over and throw him outside.

"Sin?!" Tyki's golden eyes were wide from shock and surprise. He stared at the bloodied girl, before the person she had thrown outside, then back at her again.

She had gone to her knees, gasping for air and holding her shoulder. Blood came down her arm from her hand. She glanced up at Tyki, seeing a familiar face. He looked shocked, not exactly knowing what to do for the moment.

"What's happening here?!" Tyki leaned down and helped his friend up, assessing her injuries that were probably caused by the one who she threw outside.

"Cynthia…!" Li Jun, who had recovered from the throw, had stood up again. He wiped his bloodied face and stretched his hands, walking closer to the two. "Give me that bitch, mole face."

"Mole face?!" Tyki muttered with astonishment. He couldn't believe that he had given him such a horrible nickname.

He observed the other male, seeing a crazed look in his eyes. The Chinese male wasn't even looking at Tyki, he was looking at the one beside him, the one who he was strangling before.

 _What exactly is happening here?_ Tyki watched as Li Jun advanced towards them. _Cynthia? Is he talking about Sin?_

He felt Sin hold onto him tightly. He glanced down, seeing that she was watching the other male coming, tensing. She had a terrified look in her eyes, but she didn't show it on her face.

"CYNTHIA!" Li Jun came at her in a frenzy.

Sin sharply inhaled, grabbing onto Tyki's shoulder with her good hand, readying her footwork.

"Let me borrow your shoulder for a bit."

Before Tyki could even utter a word, Sin had pivoted her foot and sent a strong kick to Li Jun's head, sending him flying into the bed of flowers on the side of the large wall.

"What's happening here?!" One of the guards, having heard the ruckus, came from his patrol on the other side of the estate to the courtyard. He saw Sin, Li Jun and their guest, Tyki, standing there, and had deduced of what had happened. He ran over to Sin, "My Lady, you need medical attention right away!"

He then turned to Tyki, "I am very sorry for disturbing your sleep, Lord Mikk!" The guard quickly helped Sin, but Tyki kept his hold on her.

"I'll take her there. Just show me the way." Tyki was about to lift Sin up, but she shook her head, refusing.

"I'm fine…" She spoke softly enough so that only he could hear.

"If you say so." The male shrugged and did so anyway, refusing her refusal of letting her down, following the guard that led them to the estate's infirmary.

Once they were there, the guard told them to stay there so that he could inform the people of an incident occurring, as well as get a doctor.

The infirmary was quite a large room, with about 4 beds occupying the space, plus the desk and cupboards that held medicines and information. It was divided into 4 section like rooms as per bed, with the middle area that connected all of them, a common area with a comfortable set of sofas.

Tyki set Sin down onto the sofa in the common room, sitting next to her. He glanced over, seeing that she was just staring into space.

"Sin, are you okay?" He leaned his elbow on his thigh, supporting his face as he looked at her. She looked like a mix of things, but happy was definitely not one of them.

 _I don't know what to do in situations like this,_ Tyki realised. He pressed his lips into a thin line, trying to think of what to do. Seeing the nail marks and bruising around her cheek and neck, the gash on her hand, as well as the stab wound in her shoulder, he got up to get some bandages, sterilising alcohol, a towel and cotton, rummaging through the drawers until he could find some. He was kind of glad he knew some basic first aid. He also got some water so that he could clean her wounds.

He came back to her, setting the things down on the coffee table between the sofas. He sat on the table as it was easier and began to soak the towel with water. "Sin, this might hurt a bit." He leaned in closer, lightly dabbing the towel on her cheeks.

Sin didn't even so much as flinch. Instead, her eyes watered as she watched Tyki. Just by him being there, it was reassuring. Even if he was a Noah, even if he was her enemy.

Overwhelmed by the night's events and his appearance, tears fell from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. She started sobbing, wailing like a lost child. She covered her eyes with her good hand, before trying to wipe her tears away, but to no avail. They wouldn't stop.

Tyki, stunned by seeing her cry like that for the first time, pulled the towel away from her, putting it down. He had seen her cry once before, back when she had told him, Momo, Clark and Eeez that she would have to leave them for a while.

He wasn't sure what to do in a situation like this, so he placed a hand on her head, rubbing her head gently like he always used to, and exactly like the time when she had told them of her leave.

Sin cried harder, as if letting all her stresses out, all her worries and all her fears.

She had been so scared, so frightened when she faced Li Jun. He had traumatised her before, and he had come to do it again 5 years later. He didn't change at all. Even while fighting, one wrong move and she would have either killed him, or he would have killed her, which wouldn't have stopped at that, either. Li Jun would have slaughtered anybody that saw what happened.

Tyki let his hand slide down the side of her head, coming to her cheek so that his larger hand covered her smaller, tear stained one.

Looking up, the exorcist saw a sincere, yet reassuring look, on the Noah's face. His thumb caressed the area next to her eye, rubbing away a tear, before his arm fell back to his lap.

Sin hiccupped, surprised by Tyki's action. It had caused her to stop sobbing dramatically, and the tears to stop.

"You stopped crying." Tyki stated with a smile. He grabbed a few tissues and handed them to her, which she took and used, thanking him quietly.

After she was done, he continued to treat her wounds, making small conversation. He dabbed the area around her cheek again, "Have I been calling you the wrong name the whole time?" He questioned, sticking a bandage on her left cheek. While he had rested in his room, he had heard many shouts coming from Li Jun, specifically the same 'Cynthia'.

Sin shook her head, "Cynthia…is my name. Sin is a nickname." She looked at him apologetically, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

"An English name?" The male questioned, dabbing the other cheek. "I thought you'd have a Chinese name that's hard to pronounce."

Sin winced slightly when Tyki applied the alcohol soaked cotton balls onto her cheeks. She shook her head, "My parents are quite influenced by Europe. They wished for us to have names that were easy for those in Europe to pronounce. Those here don't really call me by my name much."

"Don't call you by name?" Tyki glanced at her, applying a thin gauze to either side of her cheeks.

Sin's blue eyes flickered to him, wondering if she should tell him or not. She was initially hesitant, but now that he had seen part of what happened, she knew that he would have found out sooner or later. "…I'll tell you later."

Seeing her hesitation, Tyki only let out a light "hm", cleaning her hand wound. That hurt a lot more than the cheek wound, but she endured it until he bandaged it up. He then went to clean her shoulder wound. He looked at her shoulder, seeing that she had bled through her light coloured shirt. She was wearing one of the simple shirts that he had seen in the drawers of the guest room.

Tyki opened his mouth to say that she'd need to take off her shirt so that he could clean the wound, but then closed it again, wondering if there was another way around it. He didn't want her to just take off her shirt. That would embarrass him more than it would her.

 _Urgh…_ Tyki groaned inside his head. He had been thinking of her lately, and what do you know? She pops up where he was. _What are the chances of that?_

Sin noticed what he was going to do and prepared to take off her shirt. Tyki grabbed her shirt and pulled it down, stopping her from doing so.

"Tyki?" Sin questioned, confused. "I need to take this off so that you can treat the wound."

He reluctantly let go and turned to the side, knowing that she would need to. Because they were close to each other, he could see her moving.

He sweated, _this isn't good._

"Tyki." Sin had placed the shirt over her lap.

"Done?" Tyki tore his eyes away from whatever he was staring at before and his gaze went back to Sin. He tried to avoid staring down, but he was surprised to see that she had worn something underneath. It was a simple bandeau shirt. He nearly let out a sigh of relief and went to clean the shoulder wound.

Since the wound there was larger, it made Sin wince every time the towel touched it.

"Tyki, why are you here?" Sin asked, trying to detach herself from the pain.

"For business."

"Business?" A light bulb moment went off for the female, remembering Leon's words that people from Europe were coming over for talks of trade. "Ah…for the trades?"

"How do you know that?" Tyki looked at her with surprise. When she didn't respond, he went onto another question, "Alright then. What did the guard mean when he said 'My Lady'?"

"…I'll tell you all that later, too." Sin stared at Tyki, knowing that he wanted to know. He probably had a lot of questions about her, but in return, she had a lot of questions about him, too.

She stared at him for a long moment, re-examining his features. Of course, they were the same as she had remembered, except for a few changes here and there. It was still the Tyki she knew.

The longer she stared at him, the more it made the Noah wonder what was going through her mind. He knew she wasn't one to just stare at him to marvel and ogle at him, like the other girls at noble parties and such, and was quite thankful for that. He glanced at her, seeing her eyes still on him, deep in thought.

"What's wrong?" Tyki asked, motioning her to move at an angle. He needed to see if the wound had gone all the way through. "You've been staring for a while."

She moved to an angle, breaking away from her stare at the male. "It's just…I was thinking of how you look now and how you looked when you were with Eeez, Momo, Clark and me. It's quite different, but you're the same—OW!" She exclaimed, feeling the burning sensation of alcohol on her wound. She endured it, silently trying to hide that it hurt incredibly.

"Sorry." Tyki commented, hurrying the process. Once he did, he finished up with the bandages, applying gauze and bandages. "You were saying that I looked the same?" He cleaned the bloodied towel with water and put everything aside to pack up later.

Sin looked to her shoulder, seeing that it was patched up well. She smiled small. It was just like when she cut her leg back then, and Tyki and Eeez helped with bandaging it up.

"Yeah. Except, it might be hard for others to tell, though. I saw your face back then behind those glasses, so I guess it does make sense for me." Sin chuckled lightly.

"That's true." Tyki laughed lightly, "It—"

"CYNTHIA!" The door slammed open as Yue threw herself into the room, followed by Leon and the guard from before, as well as a doctor, who looked like she had just woken up from bed. They were exclaiming, words thrown on top of each other that were incomprehensible altogether.

"Mother?!" Sin exclaimed, nearly jumping from the sudden loud sound. She stared at them as they rushed towards her.

" _Mother_?!" Tyki repeated, golden eyes wide. He stared at Yue, then at Sin, then at Leon. He gaped, wondering what to think. He blinked a few times, stunned.

 _Doesn't that mean…_ Tyki was honestly shocked; he didn't expect this.

"Big sister!" Leon cried, coming to her. "Are you alright?! Are you hurt?!"

"I-I'm fine, Leon…" Sin tried to brush off how serious it was.

"Who did this to you?! Who dared do this to my daughter?!" Yue held an angry, white fist, shaking it angrily.

"M-Mother, please calm down…" Sin waved her hands in a motion that told her to calm down and keep her emotions in check.

It was then that Yue noticed that Tyki was in the room, sitting in front of Sin. He held the most dumbfounded look. Apart from Sin saying that was her mother, everything else they spoke, was in Chinese.

"Lord Mikk? What are you doing here at this hour?" She quizzed, switching to English.

Finally, he could understand. "I was dressing Sin's wounds."

"Dressing her wounds?" Yue turned to Sin, seeing that her face and shoulder were indeed bandaged, her shirt off. She could see bruises around her neck and covered her mouth with her palm, astonished at how injured her daughter was.

"M-mother, I—"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have to perform the examination now." The doctor went past Yue and to Sin. She motioned to one of the rooms, "Please be seated there, My Lady." She turned to the others, "You may all stay out here."

Tyki stood up first, getting out of Sin's way. He offered her his hand, which she took with her good arm, and he pulled her up, helping her to the doctor, who took her from him to examine her.

When they went into the room, those outside fell silent.

Yue pressed a hand to her forehead, stressed at what was happening. She sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. "Lord Mikk, I'm sorry that you have to see this."

"It is fine, Madam." Tyki responded with a light smile. "I'm glad she wasn't hurt further."

"What exactly happened?" She asked, "I heard she was attacked, but my quarters are on the opposite side of the guest rooms. Ah!" She remembered that Lord Mikk's room was the guest room right beside Sin's. "Lord Mikk, do you know what happened?"

Tyki wondered how he should word it. He didn't think he could say 'a psycho man tried to kill her' or 'she got into a fight'. "I'm not too sure what happened, either." It was the truth, as he only saw the last part where she knocked him out.

"If I may…" The guard took a step forward. He was the one who had noticed something was wrong. "An intruder was knocked unconscious by Lady Sin, and they had damaged the guest room she was staying in. Lord Mikk seemed to be with her when I arrived. The intruder has been bound and taken to another room for questioning."

"Do you know who the intruder was?" Yue pressed, hugging the shawl closer to her body.

The guard seem hesitant to say, and went closer to Yue to whisper the name to her.

"What?!" Yue exclaimed sharply.

"Mother?" Leon went to his mother and shook her on the arm, "Who was it?"

"Leon…" She stared at him with worried eyes, but eventually divulged the name. "It was Li Jun."

"Brother Li Jun?!" Leon gaped.

Tyki, who eavesdropped on them, wondered exactly who this 'Li Jun' was, and what they meant to them. They seemed quite shocked to hear his name.

 _If they're talking about the intruder, that would be this 'Li Jun', wouldn't it?_ Tyki thought. _Why was he so angry with Sin? He looked like he wanted to kill her._

Just by remembering the scene in which he was strangling her, it made his blood boil. If that happened again that person would die a horrible death.

He was going to make sure of it.

* * *

After her examination, Sin didn't want to go sleep. She was forced to stay in the infirmary on doctor's orders, even if she was going to heal up overnight.

She wanted to talk to Tyki, as she had many questions to ask. She also wanted to see Li Jun, but she didn't know if he would be in his right mind to talk.

It was alright for her to be walking about, but just not to do anything strenuous. She had promised to explain everything to Tyki, and after the examination, he had come in to talk to her after she had a moment with her mother and Leon.

However, when Tyki went in, Road had come into the infirmary in her nightgown, wondering what was up. She was hugging one of the pillows from the bed, looking sleepy. Tyki was sitting on a chair next to the bed, and pulled another one for his niece when he saw her come in. Road sat down there, drowsily rubbing her eyes.

Sin glanced at Road, "Road, I didn't know you would come here, too." The last time she remembered, Road was about to make Lavi kill Allen. But right now, she only looked like a normal kid, who had walked into a random room.

"You're…Sin, right? Sin…Sin?!" Road was mumbling to herself, but when she finally registered what she was saying, she let out an exclamation. She turned to Tyki, "See! I told you! She was in China!"

Tyki reached to close the door so that those outside weren't able to hear them. It was still in the middle of the night, so it would have been the best option.

"Is that why you brought me here, too?" Road raised a brow towards Tyki.

"I didn't bring you here, you came by yourself." He deadpanned.

"Yeah, whatever. So, what's happening?" The female Noah turned her attention to Sin, sitting back down onto the seat. She placed the pillow on her lap and wiggled her legs. They didn't even reach the ground.

"I was going to tell Tyki some things." Sin sweat dropped, pulling herself up further. Her back was supported with the angled bed frame.

"Huh? I want to listen in, too!" Road had other reasons in wanting to listen in. "Tell me, too!"

"Alright." Sin laughed lightly. With Road acting like this, it was like she wasn't even the same person as the one who wanted to hurt her friends.

"I'm going to start at the beginning." Sin had a ghost of a smile on her face, "First, let me reintroduce myself." She placed a hand to her chest, "I am Cynthia Huang, 4th Princess of the imperial Huang family." She bowed slightly with her head. "But you can call me Sin."

"4th Princess?" Road's eyes went wide, not expecting something as big as this.

Tyki seemed unfazed, as he had already figured it out on his own. The one part he didn't know was that she was the 4th Princess.

Sin nodded, "That's right. However, even though that fact is known, I request that they do not call me 'Princess', but rather just 'Sin'. Yet, they settled on 'Lady'." She chuckled.

"Why is that?" Road questioned, sitting in a frog position. She was quite curious about her and listened well.

"I do not like being called 'Princess'. If I were to let everyone call me as such, it would feel as if I am not that close with the people. Only those who come from afar call me that if they know of my title."

"Huh?"

Sin dismissed Road's confusion, knowing that she would address it with the story of her past in a moment.

"As you know, I was born to the imperial Huang family. However, the family that is mine is not similar to the rest of the imperial family, as we like to blend with the people and be connected to them. For that very reason, this family is not as connected to the rest of the imperial family, and we have more freedom. It's quite complicated.

"As for the people, different from the other imperial families, Leon and I were raised to help out those in the city and towns, and learn of how they lived, so as not to be ignorant to the needs of the people." The female reached over to the bedside to get some water, which she took a light sip of.

"Since you're a princess, wouldn't that mean you're in line to the throne?" Road questioned, tilting her head in confusion, "What about the assassinations and all?"

Sin's eyes went to Road, "There were assassination attempts, of course. A lot of people believed that royals who wanted to blend in with the people were not very smart, and would ruin the city and the surrounding areas with their ignorance. That was when I was younger, though. They sent assassins after me due to their belief that we were going to be spoiled and arrogant royals, but I was fortunate enough to have been saved by citizens that were passing by.

"My mother and father had both lived here a while before I was born, and thus had regained the trust of the residents. As they believed, to create a country, city or village where there is harmony and peace, those with power must help those who are lacking and unfortunate, and listen to their voices to help better them."

"Eh," Road let out a long vowel, "So you helped the people out and they helped you? How lovely."

Sin sent her a helpless look, "We are on good terms with those in the village and city. That's why we're able to go about freely now, as there have been little to no assassinations."

"Doesn't that mean that no one takes your family as a threat? Not even the main?" Tyki questioned, crossing his legs.

Sin shook her head and waved her good hand in dismissal, "Little to no assassinations, Tyki. We had people hiding in the shadows that take care of the assassins."

Tyki sweat dropped, _that just means you still had assassins coming after you!_

"Apart from my time in the city and village helping out the citizens, I had a lot of other duties, too. Royal duties as well as lessons, and having to attend parties for both national and international families. My family is close to a lot of families in Europe and conduct business with them, just like yours. Ah…" It was then that Sin realised that her family had been in business with the Noah family for a long time.

 _Well, there goes another reason for the Order to come find me,_ Sin sighed to herself.

"That is because of my parent's influences over there. I went to a few balls and parties in Europe during my early teen years." Sin remembered them fondly, even Cross popping up in her head from her encounter with him at one of the dinner parties. She continued, "Now, they have fallen all on Leon due to my incompetence."

 _During her early teen years?_ Road, having become fully awake, thought for a moment, backtracking her memory to many years ago, trying to figure out if what she thought first was right.

"Ah!" Road remembered. "Now I remember! You! I saw you there!"

"Huh!?" Sin turned to Road, seeing her pointing at her with the pillow. She stared at her with a surprised look, wondering what was up. "You…saw me there?"

"Yeah!" The girl sat back down, "I knew you looked familiar!" She had a content look on her face, having finally gotten the answer to what had been bugging her the whole time. "Do you remember? The dinner party held by Lord Degraves?"

Tyki glanced over at Road in confusion. That was a party from a very long time ago, something that he barely remembered. The only thing he remembered about it was that he met someone there that interested him.

 _Ah._ Tyki realised where this was going. He turned to see Sin's reaction.

"Lord Degraves?" Sin's blue eyes went a little wider. "The dinner party there; did you go, too?"

"So you were there!" Road clapped her hands together, "I knew it! I knew it!" She pumped her fists up into the air while repeatedly moving her legs, making her look even more like an excited child.

"…how did you know it was me?" Sin questioned with a puzzled look. She was thinking hard about what had happened then, but her memory had become hazy. She only remembered she had met Cross there. Now that Road was saying that she'd seen her, she was trying to think.

"I don't know, I just do." Road didn't hesitate to just say what she thought. To be honest, she didn't really have an idea how she managed to, but she did remember the one thing that intrigued her the most at that party, and it was Sin.

Back then she didn't know her name, but the way she dressed and her overall look was quite different to the others, and thus imprinted into her mind.

"You were wearing a dress that was…purple! It looked different to other European styled dresses. It was so pretty!" Road waved around the pillow.

Tyki stared at Sin for a very long time, his face expressionless as his mind tried to rewind all the way back then.

 _Purple dress? Different from others?_ In Tyki's mind, he thought back to the dream that he had, with the distorted voice and the crossed out face, along with a different type of dress. He knew that time was the time when he went to that dinner party. Slowly, in his mind, the distortion from the girl's face had started to dissipate, and he could finally remember.

"HUH?!" Tyki exclaimed out loud, finally realising something. A look of astonishment was on his face at his realisation.

Road and Sin, who were just exchanging small talk before that, turned to the male with surprise at his outburst.

Sin noticed that Tyki just stared at her, mouth agape, before closing it, "Seriously…?" He questioned quietly, almost to himself. He didn't realise it at all!

"What's wrong, Tyki? Realise something?" Road nearly hummed her question, almost playfully.

"Yeah." He let out a light sigh, "I didn't even know." He leaned on the armrest, "Sin, you were the girl from the balcony. We met before we even travelled together." He was still pretty shocked over the revelation.

"The girl from the balcony?" Sin thought for a moment. Then, it struck her. "Ah! You were the man on the balcony?! I had no idea!" She had suddenly remembered parts of the night, with the keyword being 'balcony'.

"You had no idea?! I'm pretty sure I looked the same." Tyki wore a funny look.

"Well, maybe, but, um…" Sin stammered with her words, not really knowing what to say. She couldn't believe that they had met even before they travelled together, and yet she didn't even realise! "I guess I forgot."

"What happened on the balcony?!" Road slapped her hands down onto the pillow repeatedly, trying to get the attention of the two.

"I went out to rest." Tyki responded.

"I went out to get some fresh air." Sin replied.

"…that's not what I meant!" Road threw the pillow at Tyki, hitting him square in the face.

He frowned slightly, holding onto the pillow so his niece couldn't throw it at him again.

"Well…at that time…" Now that Sin had remembered, she recalled what had happened there. It had been so long. "I didn't know who he was, but we exchanged conversation, then we danced outside for a few minutes before talking again."

Tyki nodded in agreement.

"Hah…?" Road frowned and leaned back on her seat, crossing her arms.

"As I was saying, I left a lot on Leon's shoulders." Sin held her hands together, going back to topic. She played with her thumbs. It was quite nerve racking to tell others about something that really traumatised her, but since she owed Tyki some answers, she had to.

"Tyki, the person who you saw before, is a noble by the name of Li Jun." Sin started. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

Road glanced at Tyki, then Sin, wondering what had happened. She had woken up from the ruckus of something happening and followed where she heard voices, and ultimately ended up in the infirmary.

Tyki's expression had taken a dark turn, but only slightly, with the furrowing of his brows.

"Li Jun, was my fiancé." Sin stared at her thumbs, not wanting to look up to see their faces, especially Tyki's. It scared her what Tyki thought, especially after what he had seen. "Before I started travelling with Momo, Clark, Eeez and you, Tyki, there was an incident similar to this one that had occurred.

"Before I get onto those details, let me start with a little background on Li Jun and I. He is around 7 years older than me, and was a very kind person when I met him for the first time, around when I was 5 or so. He should be around your age, Tyki, if not younger. Jun is from a noble family, but his family has good connections to the imperial family. Our parents were friends.

"Li Jun, was someone that I liked very much. He was very good to me when I knew him, and was the type of person I considered a great friend, and that I could confide in. Leon liked him very much too, and looked to him like a big brother.

"Jun was considered a handsome noble, and due to that, there were a lot of girls that he hung out with, especially those of nobility. But even so, among his various duties, he still managed to make time to be with Leon and me.

"Our parents had, upon Li Jun's suggestion, agreed upon a marriage between Jun and I. That was when I was 14. Up until then, I had rejected all marriage proposals from people I have only met a few times, and thought that it would be a good opportunity to try something new, as he was someone I trusted.

"On the night of the engagement, a dinner party was held to celebrate it. We rented out a large mansion and invited many guests. It was quite lavish. During the party, and before the announcement of our official engagement," Sin stopped abruptly, a lump starting to form in her throat.

"Hm?" Road wondered what was up. Why did she stop?

Tyki could already imagine what she was going to say. It wasn't hard to know what happened after seeing such a scene earlier.

Sin could feel her mouth go dry. "Jun led me to a room so that we could talk without people coming up to us. It was just the two of us. We talked about what was going to happen in the future, and it seemed like everything was fine…but, it…wasn't. After that, he pushed me onto the bed, and h-he was so frightening. He wasn't the Li Jun I knew. It was someone completely different! He was aggressive with me, and when I didn't comply, he started to hit me, and…" She nearly choked on her words, having remembered such a horrible moment in her life.

"He…was saying that he loved my face, my status, and…and that I would be a…a stepping stone to get into the royal family, to wealth and power and women. He told me to submit to him, and that I was only useful for one thing; and that this wasn't the first time he'd done something like that. I was so scared; someone I trusted so much was a monster, a liar! The Li Jun I knew was only a façade…

"Before he could have his way, he…I knocked him out with my Innocence. The only thing that I could do was escape, to get away from such a monstrous person. I couldn't just go back to the party. I left through the windows and flew to the estate to grab whatever I needed. I needed to get out of China, and as quick as I could.

"And…that's how I ended up in Europe. I managed to buy clothes that allowed me to blend in with the civilians there, and went from train station to train station, not knowing what to do." A ghost of a warm smile appeared on Sin's lips, with glassy eyes, "And, that's when they found me. Tyki, Momo, Clark and Eeez. They had found me unconscious at a station and brought me with them and helped me. I was so grateful."

Road looked at Tyki, seeing that he was looking down at Sin's hands. One was bandaged and the other not.

Tyki remembered that time. It matched up with her story perfectly. Indeed, they found Sin lying unconscious at the station that they were at. She was exhausted and dehydrated. They weren't heartless people, and thus they helped out. They didn't expect her to be someone that would become so precious to them later on, nor realise that she was an important royal figure.

Road snatched the pillow from Tyki. He didn't really care, as he was preoccupied with his own thoughts. Road, on the other hand, was thinking. She was sure she had heard something similar to her story, if not different, from another source before.

 _Ah, I remember,_ Road recalled the story she had heard, from China where two nobles were at an engagement party and one of them disappeared, and the one that disappeared was considered dead now after two years of searching to no avail.

"The story about the two nobles at the engagement party, where one disappeared and was officially announced dead after two years…was that you?" Road asked. It was a heavy topic to discuss, considering all the content that Sin had told them.

Sin's eyes flickered to Road's. She nodded once with a sad smile, "That's right. That was the reporter's take on it. A lot of actual details were omitted from the newspapers and information was altered most likely by Li Jun. It doesn't tell the full story."

"I don't get it, Sin, but why didn't you just break off the engagement and put him to death?" The girl questioned curiously.

The princess shook her head, "I can't do that. If I had done that, that would bring shame upon the entirety of Li Jun's family. It was only Jun that had committed such a thing like that, so I don't see any need to punish those who had no influence on this matter, even if others may not think so.

"I decided to run away…and that was the last straw. The people in nobility and royals are very vain. A lot of them are about wealth, power, connections and beauty. They take many things at face value. Such as those who wish to have my hand in marriage. They only wish to marry me because they liked my face, and that they would be able to attain power and wealth from the marriage. I did not want to be in such a world where that is everything.

"If I had killed Li Jun, that would mean a drift between his family and my family. We have been doing business together for a few generations, and I did not want to break such a thing. It is a complicated situation." Sin stared off to the side. There were a lot more other things that had to be taken into consideration, and it wasn't a light decision for her to go missing either.

"And what do you want to achieve by just running away?" Road inquired.

"I…wanted to experience the world, honestly. It is very suffocating being a royal. Even when I had more freedom and it was rewarding to be on good terms with the residents, it was very, very suffocating. It's a very selfish request, but I wanted to have time where I didn't need to worry about the cities and citizens, and just for myself. I'm very sorry to those who had to adjust their schedules due to my absence and supposed death." Sin closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. "But, apart from that, I also wanted to have time to think about how to tackle the Li Jun problem."

"So, what are you going to do with him?" Tyki leaned forward, leaning on his thighs with his elbows. He felt like he could understand her a lot better now that she told him what she had experienced.

"I…am not sure. I'm sure my father would do something. Maybe throw him in prison, or kill him." Sin glanced up at Tyki with uncertainty. "Travelling with you made me forget all about him."

There was silence in the room for a long moment.

Road was the one to break it, "Sin, you said something about using Innocence to knock out this Li Jun guy, right?"

"Y-yes…" Sin gasped lightly, forgetting that they were Noah, and had the ability to destroy Innocence. She leaned away slightly from them.

"You don't need to worry, we won't be destroying your Innocence." Tyki shrugged. "The Earl told us to bring you back alive and kicking." He smiled at her.

"Wha…" Sin was astounded. The Earl, sparing her? This was strange, and downright confusing. However, it did make sense if she put it into the context where the Earl wanted to help Mei, who was the memory of the Innocence.

"Anyway…how did you knock him out?" Road was curious. "Your Innocence are wings and that sword, right?"

"Um…I think I hit Jun with a wing, and he hit his head on something and got knocked out…" Sin was a little unsure.

"Eh…" Road jumped off her seat and headed over to where Sin was sitting, reaching up to touch her hair. "I remember you had long hair a long time ago. You even said you loved it."

The topic had changed so suddenly, Sin was taken aback by the statement. When had she talked to Road about her hair? If she did talk to Road, then it would have been back 7 years ago at Degrave's party. She talked to a lot of people, and didn't remember every single thing she said.

"My hair…" Sin trailed off. She smiled small, but it was pained, "I do love it, but…when Li Jun assaulted me, he pulled my hair a lot. Having long hair reminded me of such a thing. That's why I cut it."

Road pulled her hand away, "Are you growing it back now?"

"…my friend wanted me to grow it back out." Sin remembered Lenalee's words. They both had short hair now, but they both previously had long hair. Just thinking about Lena, she noticed how much she missed her friends back at the Order.

"Does it look bad?" Sin laughed lightly, trying to lighten the mood.

"No, it looks good." Road went back to her seat after smiling.

Tyki glanced at the clock on the wall. It was around 2am now. His attention went onto the exorcist, "Sin, why don't you come with us?" He suggested.

"What?" Sin looked at him with wide eyes.

"We know you're on the run from the Order, and they want to kill you."

Sin tensed at Tyki's words, remembering her encounter with Apocryphos. She pressed her lips into a thin line, looking down at her hands again, which had come together.

"You escaped them because you want to live, right?" Tyki almost made it sound like a statement. "They're going to find you sooner or later. It'll be better to come with us."

"But…you're the family of Noah. You kill exorcists." Sin spoke quietly.

"Yeah, but didn't I just say that we won't be killing you? The Earl said he wants you in one piece, Innocence intact and all." Tyki intertwined his fingers.

"…but even if you don't kill me, what if I kill you all? Doesn't Innocence enable me to do so?" Sin questioned, looking over to meet his golden eyes.

Tyki stared right back at her, before chuckling, "You won't."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Sin, how long have I known you?" Tyki raised a brow, knowing that he would win this little argument.

Sin went silent, sighing through her nose. "Give me a good reason why you want me to come with you."

"Eeez wants to see you again."

Sin looked over at Tyki, eyes wide. She didn't expect an answer like that, none at all. She stared at him in shock.

Tyki laughed lightly at her reaction, "So does Momo and Clark." He paused, "And if anything, those friends of yours from the Order; the people that you helped, and your family."

"But that doesn't mean I'll necessarily see them if I come with you, right?" Sin protested. She felt like she wanted to cry. His voice was gentle, which made his words even more impactful.

"You'll live."

Sin fell silent. He was right. She would live. Her gaze went to her hands. She was uncertain. She had the option of going with the Noah family and living, and that would provide protection from Apocryphos and the Order. However, there was always a reason behind everything. Why did the Earl want her alive in the first place? There has got to be a reason behind that, apart from wanting to talk to Mei about a few things.

"So, what will you do?" Road piped up. She stood up and twirled around, stretching her limbs. "We're not going to kill you or anything so you're pretty much safe. It's better than going around and trying to escape the Order, right?"

Sin had to admit, that was the truth. It would have been the best option to go with the Noah, but she was scared of what was going to happen after. Even when Tyki was going to be with her, the Noah family itself was a scary thing she didn't know how to approach.

"I'll be there, don't worry." Tyki grinned. He stood up and went closer to the bed, placing a hand on her head. His other was in his pocket.

"But…" Sin inclined her head, worried.

"The Earl makes good homemade burgers." Tyki rubbed her head, before shoving that hand back into his pocket. "But it's up to you if you want to try them."

"I'm going back to sleep." Road yawned and waved at Sin, coming up to her. She shoved Tyki out of the way. "You know, I don't actually hate you. If you weren't an exorcist I'd quite like you. But this just makes it interesting." She beamed before waving again, skipping out the door.

Sin blinked in surprise. "That's…good." She managed to say. It was a good thing Road said that, right?

Tyki rubbed the back of his neck, finding that they were alone. He wondered if he should stay there to keep her company. He sat back down, crossing his leg and leaning on the armrest.

"You know, Tyki, I was considering going to the Noah, even before you had suggested it." Sin started.

Tyki looked at her, confused. "How?"

"Back when the Ark was deteriorating, and when you awakened your inner Noah," Sin paused, seeing his eyes widen, "You fought us, and…when General Cross appeared and fought you, the Earl took you back to the other Ark. Do you know what the Earl said to me? Or rather, to Mei?"

"Mei? Who's that? And what did he say?" He was puzzled.

"…Mei is the memory within my Innocence. She takes over to fight for me sometimes." She simplified it. "The Earl told her that he would help her destroy the Order if she still wanted to."

Tyki thought for a moment, trying to think. He felt like the name 'Mei' was familiar, but he himself hadn't heard of someone with that name before.

"Mei told me that the Noah family won't kill me if I went to them." Sin laughed hopelessly at herself, "I didn't know that he'd actually get someone to take me there."

"So you'll be coming along then?" Tyki questioned. He added with a grin, "I take it you want to try the Earl's homemade burgers?"

Sin laughed lightly. She had made her decision, but it wasn't a light one. "I will go along with you. The burgers are a bonus."

"Eh, thought they'd be the selling point." Tyki chuckled with a smile.

Sin closed her eyes, relaxing slightly. It was good to get things off her chest. "Tyki, there's one other reason why I'm willing to go to the Noah family."

"Hm? And that is?" The male asked.

She opened her eyes, turning to him with a warm, genuine smile. "Because you're there."

Tyki froze in his spot, dumbfounded. Even when he had joked about it earlier, hearing her say it was quite different. He covered his mouth with his palm and looked away from her, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks. He felt embarrassed by how forward she was and didn't expect to feel this way.

Sin only laughed lightly. There weren't many instances when Tyki was embarrassed and showed it, so it was something that she found cute.

"I'm going to rest now," Sin took one of the other pillows on the bed and threw it over to Tyki, landing it right in his lap. "Go to sleep, Tyki. Sorry for waking you up with what happened earlier."

Tyki, having regained himself, nodded. "I guess I'll stay here tonight."

"Tyki."

"Hm?"

"Thanks for keeping me company."

* * *

" _ **Ah, it's chilly."**_

 _ **A Chinese girl wearing a knee length purple dress pressed her gloved hands together, rubbing them to try to conserve heat. Her dress didn't do much to help her, as it was sleeveless and covered halfway up to her neck. The bottom was a little poofy, and she wore purple tinted silver heels that weren't too high for someone her age. The only form of warmth she had was the light transparent long ribbon that went with her outfit, but that by itself wasn't enough.**_

 _ **She wanted to go back inside where it was warmer, but then she would be forced to dance and chat with many people, which left her tired.**_

 _ **Looking up, she saw the full moon shining down at her, illuminating whatever was in its reach.**_

" _ **So pretty." She looked forward, and spotted someone already where the balcony was. Tilting her head slightly, she headed over and took the spot beside the man, who was a lot taller than she was.**_

 _ **That man had medium length wavy hair that was pulled back, umber skin, golden eyes and a mole underneath his left. He was just resting outside, leaning on the balcony with his arms. He glanced over at the newcomer and saw that it was the girl that everyone was talking about, the girl who had come from the East.**_

" _ **May I join you?" She asked politely, a step away from the balcony arm.**_

" _ **Sure." The male spoke nonchalantly, realising that she spoke English. He saw that she smiled and looked up at the moon. The look of freedom seemed more evident on her face now, more so than it did inside the building.**_

 _ **A strong wind came past, ruffling her hair violently. She placed a hand on her head to stop the wind from changing her hairstyle further, and once it stopped, she had to fix it. Since her hair was long, it took her a while to put everything back into the right place without a mirror. Her hair was mainly down, but lightly styled on the top. The blue diamond earrings that she always wore were still with her.**_

" _ **Are you enjoying the night?" She asked, turning to the male. At the party, she had noticed that he had danced with quite a number of people. She didn't expect him to be outside.**_

" _ **Not really." He answered honestly. He didn't feel like he needed to put up airs for the girl. She was young, but she didn't seem to be expecting a wonderful answer like everyone else was.**_

 _ **The 12 year old laughed lightly, and hugged her arms as she felt a chill, "That's the same for me, too. I don't really like parties in particular."**_

" _ **Eh, so the same as me, then." The 19 year old chuckled. It felt quite good that there was someone besides him that felt this way.**_

 _ **The girl turned to him, "It's tiring to dance like that all the time." She sighed lightly, resting her head on her arms on the balcony rails, "I don't like the looks they give me, either. It feels like I'm being judged harshly. They're almost like hawks."**_

 _ **The male looked to the younger one. He noticed that she seemed to be wiser than her years, but he understood exactly what she meant, chuckling at how similar their situations were.**_

" _ **Same goes for me."**_

 _ **The girl just smiled and looked back at the moon, feeling another round of wind go through her hair. She wasn't going to fix it this time, as it seemed practically useless if the wind was going to continue.**_

 _ **As she stared up at the moon, she wondered if she would still be doing what she was doing now, 5, no, 10 years later. Would she have a different view of parties then? Would she have found someone to love? A suitor? Or would she still be the same person now, cautious and disliking of attention?**_

 _ **The male observed her, leaning his face on his palm. She was probably the first single girl that didn't care about his appearance, and didn't blush whenever they had eye contact. Of course, it was hard to see in the moonlight, but it was easy to tell who was and wasn't flustered.**_

 **How refreshing,** _ **he thought with a small smile. He then noticed that she had Goosebumps on her arms, and pushed himself into standing position, turning to face her.**_

" _ **Would you like to dance?" This was the only time when he voluntarily offered his hand to a lady, even if she was young, and wanted to dance.**_

 _ **She looked at him, then saw that his hand was in front of her, waiting to be held. She looked up at him, noticing that his eyes were sincere, different from when she saw them inside the hall. She stared at his hand for a moment, then laughed lightly, taking it.**_

" _ **This is quite ironic. We both mentioned we didn't like doing this all the time, yet, here we are." She smiled. The male chuckled in agreement.**_

 _ **He placed a hand on her upper back, while she found it a little hard to reach his upper arm. In the end, she gave up and held his lower arm, which made him laugh at how funny it was.**_

" _ **It's not funny." She pouted, clenching her hand around his. His hands were a lot bigger than hers was, so it made him laugh yet again at how small she was. It was cute.**_

 _ **They did a simple set of moves, repeating them many times.**_

" _ **Are you warm, yet?" He questioned, holding one arm out so that she would do a twirl.**_

 _ **She came back from the twirl and placed her hand on his arm again, "So it was like that. You're a very kind person." She smiled warmly at him, knowing his intentions.**_

 _ **The male could only smile back at her, continuing to dance.**_

 _ **She had to incline her head to look up at him, and when she did, due to the close proximity, it wasn't hard to see that he was a very handsome individual. However, she wasn't moved by the appearance, even if he was pleasing to look at. It was his warmth that she liked, and how genuine and friendly he seemed to be.**_

 _ **On the other hand, the male thought the same thing. He found her to be a cute girl. She was someone that he would probably remember, someone different from the rest. Someone that was one in a million or more. However, it was unlikely that he would see her again. If they had met under different circumstances, he believed that they would be friends.**_

" _ **Who is Tyki dancing with, Daddy?" The girl questioned. She looked to her adoptive father, seeing that he was watching the dancing duo with curious eyes.**_

" _ **That seems to be the Chinese princess that everyone is talking about." He watched them as they danced, seeing that they looked genuinely happy, something he hadn't seen from his brother at parties. "She's a very cute young Lady. I'd like to dance with her too."**_

" _ **Cuter than I am?" His daughter didn't seem fazed but commented anyway.**_

" _ **Not at all, Road."**_

 _ **Road giggled, her eyes still on the two that were dancing outside.**_

 _ **Back on the outside, the two of them stopped dancing, having had enough.**_

 _ **The female smiled and did a courtesy, while the male bowed a little, a hand on his chest.**_

" _ **Thank you for the wonderful dance." She turned back to the moon, a content look on her face.**_

 _ **The male followed her gaze and looked up as well. A smile graced his lips, "It was my pleasure." He went back to leaning against the rails. He quite enjoyed the peace and quiet outside.**_

" _ **Just once, I would like to escape this reality." Her words were so quiet that the male could barely hear, but he managed to make out her words. He looked at her, seeing that she had spoken to herself.**_

" _ **Then why don't you?" He asked.**_

 _ **Startled, the girl turned to him, "You heard that?!"**_

" _ **I did." He laughed lightly. It was much more interesting watching her than it was the entirety of the duration of the party.**_

 _ **She looked at him, unsure if she should share her thoughts. But, in the end she did. "I want to experience what it's like having a 'normal' childhood like every other child, but I cannot. I rarely get any free time to myself to do my own thing."**_

 _ **The male listened to her quietly. He was aware that she was someone of high social status, but did not know the extent of it. Judging by what she was saying, it was like she wanted to run away from her duties and live freely, but was bound by her morals to do what she needed to do.**_

 _ **He sighed lightly, taking a cigarette from his jacket. The female watched him and realised what he was doing, gasping.**_

" _ **No! Don't do that! It's bad for you!" She snatched the cigarette from his lips, an angry expression on her face.**_

 _ **The male stared at her with disbelief at her action. He then burst out in laughter, finding that it was hilarious that a child was scolding him, especially one that looked like a cute angry dinosaur.**_

" _ **What are you laughing for?" She frowned, "These things are like the opium they use back in China! It drives a person insane!" She glared at the cigarette, wanting to throw it over the balcony.**_

 _ **The male took back the cigarette, placing it back where he had gotten it. He had gotten a good laugh out of it, but knew that the girl only meant good. He placed a hand on her head and rubbed it, grinning.**_

" _ **Thanks for worrying about me."**_

 _ **She stared at him with a strange look, not sure what to think. It was the first time a stranger had ever rubbed her head.**_

" _ **Oh, whoops, sorry. I ruined your hairstyle." He took his hand off her head, trying to fix it. He ultimately failed.**_

 _ **The girl laughed and did it herself, but a gust of wind meant that it went back to being messy.**_

 _ **The sound of the door opening to the balcony could be heard, forcing the attention of the two onto it. A Chinese male stood there with a hand on his chest, bowing slightly, "My Lady, Lord Degraves would like to see you."**_

" _ **Ah…I'll be right there." The female turned back to the golden eyed male and did another courtesy. "Thank you for tonight. I hope we meet again." She smiled kindly at him before she hurried her step and fixed her hair, going to the servant. He ended up fixing her hair for her, before ushering her to the mansion's owner.**_

 _ **The male observed as she left, seeing that she looked back once to give him a wave before going off.**_

 _ **He smiled to himself, chuckling.**_

 **I hope we meet again, too.**

* * *

Tyki woke up from his sleep, having dreamt of the time when he was at the Degraves' dinner party. He was still in the infirmary, and had fallen asleep on the comfortable chair. He saw that Sin was still sleeping soundly.

He blinked his drowsiness away, then looked up at the clock, seeing that only 5 hours had passed since he fell asleep. It was 7am now.

Tyki stretched a little, finding that he didn't really want to go back to sleep. He was just content in the silence of the morning and the sounds of nature.

 _So that was what happened at the Degraves' dinner party,_ he thought with a small smile. He'd remembered fully.

He looked back over at Sin, _she hasn't changed much since then._

' _I hope we meet again, too', huh…who knew we would?_ He chuckled lightly to himself. _And that was 7 years ago. How did I not remember? I even met her 5 years ago and travelled with her, too._

Tyki pulled his chair closer to the bed, reaching out to get a hold of her hand. He touched it, but hesitantly, then pulled his hand away, the ghost of a genuine smile on his face.

 _It's a pleasure to meet you again, Sin._


	19. Chapter 18

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #18

* * *

 _A hand caressed a cheek, causing a smile to come to her features. She giggled, holding onto that hand that she didn't want to let go._

" _I'm glad that you came all this way to see me," She pressed a hand to the male's chest, letting her fingers climb up to his cheek, where she pulled him in for a light kiss._

 _He could only smile, then pulled her closer, resting his chin on top of her head, steadying his breathing. He was content just like this, holding her._

 _They stood there in silence, enjoying each other's company. They didn't get to see each other often because of the nature of their jobs, but when they did, it was worthwhile._

" _Do you know?" The female piped up playfully._

" _Hm? Know what?" The male's arms went around her shoulders._

" _That I love you very much!" She grinned, hugging him._

" _You say that every time you see me." The male chuckled, moving back just slightly so he was able to press his forehead against hers._

 _He closed his eyes, "Do you think he'll let us be together?"_

 _She stared down at his collarbones, a bitter smile on her face as the mood shifted._

" _I only wish."_

* * *

Sin awoke, feeling like the dream she had wasn't a dream of her own. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, wondering who was in that dream.

 _There was a woman and a man, but who were they?_ She questioned herself. _I couldn't even see their faces properly._

"You're awake."

The exorcist glanced over to the voice, seeing that Tyki was already awake. He had been in his own thoughts the whole time, until she awoke a couple of hours after him.

"Good…morning, Tyki." She sat up.

"Good morning." He uncrossed his legs and stood up, pouring some water for her.

"Thanks."

"How are you feeling?" He sat back down, glancing at the bandaged shoulder and cheeks. He noticed that the bruises she had before were gone, which surprised him.

Sin moved around a little, finding that there was no pain whatsoever. She touched her shoulder, then poked it when she felt nothing.

"What are you doing?" The Noah watched her with an amused look.

"I'm just seeing if it hurts or not. It doesn't hurt at all, so it should be all healed up." She placed the glass of water back onto the table and started undoing the bandages on her hand, finding a completely healed hand when she did. She stretched and moved it a little, smiling.

"It…really did heal." Tyki stared at her in astonishment, "How is that even possible overnight?" It confused him. There was no way that was possible.

"Apparently I heal really fast now." Sin let out a nervous laugh, "It didn't use to be like this, I swear."

Tyki helped her out with undoing the shoulder bandages and cheek ones, finding that they were all healed up as well.

"You were stabbed and you heal overnight? What the hell?" Tyki could only stare in utter surprise at her shoulder, which didn't look like it had been stabbed at all.

"I guess it's a good thing, since it doesn't hurt anymore." Sin pulled the blankets off her and wore the shawl that was folded on the table, sliding off the bed. She put on the slippers and headed to the door.

"Tyki, I'm going to go see what's happening outside. You coming?" She asked. Her speech had changed slightly after hanging out with him and the others, becoming less formal especially around them.

"Yeah." He followed after her to the courtyard, where the guards were cleaning up the guest room Sin had previously stayed in.

"They're still cleaning up, huh." Tyki commented, stopping when Sin did.

One of the guards wiping the blood from the door frame saw the princess approaching and immediately straightened up, bowing deeply to her.

"Good morning, my Lady! How are you feeling today?" He greeted, coming back up from the bow.

"I'm very well, thank you." Sin smiled at the guard, who blushed, tears at his eyes. "Thank you for worrying about me."

"No, it is an honour!"

"So what's happening right now? Is father questioning Li Jun now?" Sin asked.

Tyki glanced over at her. He wasn't sure why she'd want to see Li Jun, but he didn't mind, since it gave him a good opportunity to see who this guy really was.

"Yes! Master Li Jun is getting interrogated in the underground quarters by Master Yang and Madam Yue!"

"The underground quarters?" Sin paused for a moment, before thanking the guard. She turned around and headed to the back of the estate, where there was a separate area where a small storage room was. It was unlocked. A couple of guards stood outside on watch, and once they saw her, they allowed her in.

"I'm sorry, but as the guest, it is not recommended that you go down there." One of the guards stopped Tyki.

Sin, who was halfway down the stairs, looked up, seeing Tyki look down to hear her opinion. Knowing exactly what lay underground, Sin shook her head, an apologetic smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, but could you wait up there for a little bit?"

"Alright." Tyki shrugged and sat down on the wooden stairs that connected the back of the estate to the rest of the living quarters. He was slightly bummed that he wasn't able to see Li Jun and what they were going to do with him.

Sin went down the stairs, arriving at a lit underground room made of stone, decorated minimally. She glanced around, seeing that her mother and father were there, alongside a couple of guards and Li Jun, who was bound around the wrists and legs, kneeling down on the cold ground in the centre back of the room.

Sin's presence into the room made her parents and guards turn to her, seeing that the victim had appeared.

"Sin, what are you doing here?" Yue's eyes went wide when she saw her daughter there. She noticed that her wounds had completely healed, which added to her astonishment.

"My daughter, did Li Jun hurt you?" Yang had an edge to his voice, pointing to the man that had started it all.

Sin pressed her lips together and headed over, passing by the door that led to the torture weapons. She stood in front of the knelt down male, seeing that he was silent, and watching every move that she made. His wounds from the day before hadn't healed yet, and it seemed as if there were more.

Once Sin was about 3 feet away from him, he finally broke his silence. "Princess."

"Jun." Sin pulled her shawl closer to her body. She observed Li Jun, unconsciously tensing. He didn't seem like a scary individual now, but that was far from the case.

"What brings you down here?" He asked, looking up with a smile.

 _A smile I've seen hundreds of times now. A smile that I didn't think was fake._ Sin felt a lump form in her throat. _Why did I trust someone like him?_

 _ **Because he's a deceitful bastard, that's why.**_

Mei's voice echoed in her head. It was strange that she decided to pop in now, but Sin couldn't agree more with her.

"I came…here to talk to you." Sin managed to say. Her tone was quiet.

"So, what did you come here to say? That I've lost?" Jun's voice was light like it was always, but there was a defining edge of poison behind that lightness.

Sin's toes curled under her feet. She was getting nervous, and hesitated, but she had to do what she believed was right. After all, she had run away from this problem for 5 years, and look where it led her.

"Jun…why me?"

"Why you?" Jun questioned with a raise of the brow. After hearing her question, he chuckled, a smile on his lips.

The rest of the people in the room were just watching on, confused at what was happening. They seemed like they were in their own world.

"Because you have everything I don't." Jun explained simply. He met her blue eyes with his brown ones, which had no empathy in them.

"…wouldn't you have had very similar things? After all, being a noble and royalty—"

"You wouldn't understand!" Jun snapped. Finally, there was a real shred of emotion on his face. Sin was taken aback. "How would you know, what it's like having nothing and being forced to keep appearances?!"

She stared at him, confused. He was a noble that seemed to have everything, and he seemed completely fine. Did she misjudge?

Jun watched her, seeing that she didn't seem to know what was going on. "You're too naïve." He let out a short laugh, "You haven't been poor your whole life, so you wouldn't know how it feels!"

Sin's eyes narrowed slightly at him, having pieced bits of information together. "Li Jun…is your family…"

"That's right. For nobility, this is a complete and utter embarrassment." Jun chuckled darkly. "Do you know how it became like this? My mother spends and spends, and spends."

"So that's why you wanted wealth and power." Sin exhaled, calming her nerves. She pressed her lips together, sadness in her eyes, "But that is not an excuse for what you have done to me."

Her parents and guards stared at her with wide eyes, wondering what she meant this time.

Jun stared at her for a moment, before chuckling to himself, "No, it's not. I don't have an excuse for that, unfortunately."

"Why? What made you this way?" Sin missed the old Li Jun.

"…my mother." Li Jun almost spat.

"Your mother?" Sin recalled him saying that she was the one who spent most of their family's budget.

"That witch, heh…she's not even my real mother. My real mother died when I was 14. She's my step mother." Jun sighed deeply. "She is a horrible person that abuses anyone and every—"

"And she is the one who drove you to do this to another person?" Sin took a step forward in complete disbelief. She shook her head as her eyes became glassy, like she was about to cry. But, she wouldn't. "That's not how you treat another person! That's not how you treat _anybody_ at all! Li Jun, how could you become like such a person you despise so much?!" It seemed as if her nerves had faded away, replaced with anger at his words.

Yue pressed a hand to her chest, completely shocked. She was friends with that step mother, and didn't realise that she was such a horrible person that treated people like this, and didn't know that Li Jun's family had become like that. It was her first time hearing of it.

Li Jun stared at Sin for a long moment, his eyes widening slightly. He looked momentarily shook, before a tired, defeated smile wore his lips. "I thought that to myself this whole time. Having someone say it to my face is quite a wake up."

Sin clenched her hands into fists, "Li Jun, you know it's wrong, yet you still do it? Where did your pride go? Where are your birth mother's teachings? How could you disgrace yourself like this?!"

Li Jun didn't have an answer to that. He sighed through his nose and looked down, "I have no excuse. Kill me, if you must. I've already committed enough as it is."

Sin inhaled sharply, heading over to him and flicking him as hard as she could in the head, "Dying won't solve anything!"

"My Lady, please do not get so close to him!" The guard to the right tried to motion her to go back, but she did not. Yang waved at him to stop.

The beat up handsome noble blinked a few times at Sin, finding that she looked incredibly angry at him, more so than she did before. She took a step back.

"If you know it's wrong, you should fix it! I don't care if you have to grovel at their feet for forgiveness and throw away your pride! You were the one who started this, and so you must fix it by yourself! Dying won't solve your problems! It'll just cause more problems for everyone that you've hurt!"

Li Jun stared at her with a dumbfounded expression. It had been a while since he had seen her like this.

"You're so demanding…" Li Jun chuckled after a brief moment of intermission, shaking his head. "Are you saying you will spare me? Even after what I've done to you?"

Sin tensed, and stared at him for a long time, trying to decide what the best course of action was. She took in a deep breath, shakily letting it out.

"Li Jun. Don't you dare try anything like that ever again, or I will personally ask for your assassination." She threatened.

"So you want me to redeem myself?" His brows raised, and then he shook his head with a weary smile, "You truly are too kind hearted for your own good."

The exorcist shook her head, "You think too much, Jun."

"Weren't you the one who said you didn't want to see me ever again? Yet here you are, sparing my life." Li Jun laughed at the irony of the situation. He stopped after a second and exhaled slowly, before bowing his head down to the royal before him.

"Princess, I am sorry. I will not ask for your forgiveness, as I do not believe you will ever forgive me. However, please allow me to say this," Li Jun's words were sincere and genuine, straight from his heart. He hoped it went through to the one person who he had hurt the most. "I have realised my mistakes, and I will atone for them. I am forever in your debt."

Sin stared at Jun with a mixed expression. Did she do the right thing by allowing him to live, and redeem himself? What if he does not? What if he is lying again, and will do the exact same thing?

"…Jun. I will never forgive you for what you have done." Sin spoke harshly. "You have scarred me, and I will never forget."

Li Jun lifted his head, going back to a sitting position, "I am very well aware. Thank you for giving me another chance." He bowed his head yet again, but it was in shorter duration.

"Live a life where you treat others the way you want to be treated." Sin turned to her father, "Please cut his ropes and free him. However, before he leaves, he will help with the restoration with what he destroyed in the estate."

"Are you sure about this, Sin?" Yang watched as his only daughter smiled small. He was angry that Li Jun did such a thing to his daughter, but he applauded her for how she handled the matter.

"I am very sure." Sin then turned to her mother, "Mother, I will leave in your hands what you should do with Jun's step mother."

"Princess, I will deal with that problem myself." Li Jun protested. He had been freed from his ropes, rubbed his wrists and stood up to let his blood run through his body.

"Jun, it is fine if you still call me 'Sin'." Sin sighed and reached a hand towards Li Jun, pressing her two fingers to his forehead and pushing him back slightly. She pulled her hand away.

Li Jun noticed that her hands shook, no doubt from the installed fear he had set in her. He bowed deeply to her at 90 degrees. "Lady Sin."

Sin, at a loss at how he was calling her, didn't correct him anymore.

"I'll see what I can do with your step mother. I will assess the situation and help you if need be." Yue spoke up, heading over to where her daughter and Li Jun were. She grabbed Li Jun's shoulder and squeezed it hard, a look of anger in her eyes as she smiled sinisterly.

"Y-Yes, Madam Yue!"

Sin turned to go back up, hearing her parents conversing with the guards and Li Jun. Once she got back out into the sunlight, she saw that Tyki was waiting outside, talking to Leon, who sat next to him, and Road, who was still in her nightgown and holding the pillow.

"Big sister!" Leon exclaimed, jumping up from his seat beside the European male and heading over to his sister. He gasped in surprise when he saw that her injuries weren't there anymore, but dismissed it with a big hug. "I'm so glad you're alright!" He spoke in Chinese.

"I'm fine, Leon." Sin spoke in Chinese, before heading over to Road and Tyki.

"How'd it go?" Tyki asked. He stayed seated, as Road was sprawled on his lap lazily. "I heard shouting."

"I spared Li Jun." Sin started after a moment, this time speaking in English. She released a heavy exhale, having felt the tension leave her shoulders. Leon and Tyki's eyes went wide, and Road looked up at the woman. "However, if he messes up this chance…" She trailed off, knowing they'd understand where it led to.

Tyki sighed and rubbed his neck, "If that's what you want, that's fine."

Leon watched as Tyki and Road conversed freely with his sister. It was like they had known each other for a long time, and he wondered how she came to know them.

"Big sister, how did you come to know Lord Mikk and Lady Road?" Leon asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Sin made an 'o' with her mouth, forgetting that Leon didn't know she travelled with Tyki, and met Road on a different basis. She motioned her hand at Tyki, "I was travelling with him and a few others."

Leon's dark blue eyes went wide as he stared at Tyki, then at Sin, then back again. Finally, he let out a gasp as he grabbed his sister's hands, shaking them wildly, "Sister! Don't tell me something happened!"

Sin laughed and shook her head in dismissal, "Nothing happened Leon. They took good care of me."

Leon turned to Tyki, who had a relaxed expression on his face. "Thank you for taking care of my sister all this time!"

Tyki raised his hand as if telling him to stop, "It's fine."

Leon couldn't believe Tyki was the one who had been travelling with Sin. He didn't really get it, how nobles and royals alike are able to travel together when they had duties and such. However, even if it didn't make any sense at all, he dismissed it.

"Tyki really likes Sin. And Sin really likes Tyki." Road grinned cheekily as she got up from Tyki's lap, shoving the pillow against his face aggressively, "Right, Tyki?"

The Noah male made a face as she pushed the pillow against him. He was used to it since she did this all the time, but what bothered him most was what she wanted confirmation on.

"Cut it out, Road." Tyki tried to push the pillow away, but she hit him with it.

Sin didn't comment, only laughing lightly at Road's actions, not thinking much of it.

Leon turned to Sin, remembering that Sin wanted to break off the engagement to Li Jun. "Is Lord Mikk your suitor?" His question was innocent enough, but that question caused a roll of laughter from Road, and surprised looks from the exorcist and male Noah.

"What?" They spoke simultaneously, as if in disbelief.

Seeing how they reacted, Leon shook his head, embarrassed, "N-no, I'm wrong, I'm sorry!" He bowed in apology, face reddening. He couldn't believe he just asked something so stupid.

Sin patted Leon's back gently, "It's fine, Leon. It might be easily mistaken since he and I are good friends."

"Good friends who travelled together." Road muttered. Tyki shot her a look, suspicious about what she really wanted to say.

"I'm very sorry! I shouldn't be asking such questions." The boy slumped his shoulders, "Anyway, I should get going. I'm helping with breakfast preparations. I'll see you all in the dining room."

Sin waved once, seeing Leon disappear around the corner.

"Road, go get dressed." Tyki reminded the girl, who pouted a frown. She ended up going back to her room to change.

"I'm hungry. What do you guys normally have for breakfast?" Tyki yawned. He didn't feel like sleeping but he was tired. He stood up and they walked to the guest rooms, as they haven't changed from what they wore the night before.

"We have a variety of things, actually. It'll most likely be extra grand since we have you and Road here." Sin thought for a moment, "Leon does the menus now so I'm not sure what he's got in store for breakfast."

"Sin." Tyki said her name softly, but firmly.

"Hm?" She glanced over, seeing that his expression looked half serious. The tone had shifted.

"You alright?"

Feeling his concern, she only smiled, "I'm fine, Tyki."

They reached the outside of their rooms. The room that Sin was staying in had the door just fixed, and she was able to go inside. All the broken objects had been taken outside so that it wasn't in her way. She rummaged through the drawers, trying to find something easy and suitable to wear. There was a dress, but she didn't want to wear something so hard to manoeuvre in. In the end she got out a replication of what she wore on her first day back at the estate, dark baggy pants and a light shirt.

Tyki was done before her, clad in his suit. He was waiting outside with Road, who was wearing a cute dress that suited someone as petite as her.

"Are we ready to go, _princess_?" Tyki emphasised her title, wanting to tease her, in which she gave him a slight frown, earning him a light hit on the arm.

"Don't call me that! Let's go."

* * *

Apocryphos, in his disguise as a Cardinal, had found out where Sin was. Just before he had left to go find her, someone had tipped the Black Order on her whereabouts, and exorcists and CROWs were assembling to go for capture.

In the shadows he blended, with a dangerous smirk that spread from one ear to the next.

"You have nowhere to escape, _Seraphim._ "

On the other side, Komui slammed his hands onto the desk, flabbergasted that someone had found her so quickly. It was at times like this that he didn't like that the Order had eyes everywhere. He sat back down on his seat and pressed pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing that he had to give the authority to send out exorcists. Rouvelier would be sending out a couple of CROWs to aid them.

They were in the middle of a clean-up operation at the Order due to the huge mess that Lulubell of the Noah had caused. The exorcists were still injured and it would have been hard for them to go out on a mission.

"BROTHER!" Lenalee burst into the room, out of breath. She had run to his office after overhearing a rumour circulating around the Order. "Is it true that they've found her?!"

Komui nodded, his lips pressed together tightly. The information had spread fast.

"Send me! I will go!" Lenalee requested, her hands on the table.

"Lenalee." Komui's eyes narrowed at his sister, sadness and pain in them. "By going on this mission, do you realise what you have to do?!"

Lenalee, realising her mistake, lifted her hands from the table slowly, her eyes wide. Her lips quivered, "I-I…"

"I know you want to see Sin. But it's a kill-on-site order. Do you really have what it takes to kill her?" It was hard for the Chief to say those words. It was even harder that he would be pitching friends against friends.

Lenalee's eyes watered, knowing that whatever she did to try and help, nothing good would come out of it. She sniffed, rubbing her eyes. But, if her friend was going to die she'd want to see them for the last time.

"Please, let me go on this!" She insisted. "I want to see her!"

Komui had an understanding of what Lenalee wanted to do. Sighing, he nodded, "Fine. I'll let you go on this. But you have to remember that CROWs from Central will be watching."

"Yes!"

"On a side note, the exorcists I'm sending will be Kanda, Lavi and Allen."

"All of them?" Lenalee's stomach almost dropped when she heard Kanda's name. He was ruthless in his jobs, and if it involved killing somebody, he would do it. But, she didn't know if that would apply to Sin too, since he personally trained her.

The purple haired man nodded, releasing a long exhale. He turned to the golem, giving directions to the other three exorcists to assemble at the Ark, where they would be taken to where Sin was.

"Lenalee. Don't do anything that will cause them to throw you in jail, too." Komui warned.

Lenalee clenched her hands into fists, knowing the hidden meaning behind those words. She turned around, going to where the Ark was.

Allen, Lavi and Kanda had already assembled, the formers looking all too gloomy while the latter held an expression of pure anger and irritation.

"Lenalee." Allen greeted, seeing his exorcist friend. She smiled at him, but that smile was sad.

Lavi tried to lighten up the mood by telling some jokes, but although it worked on the surface, it was only a temporary thing.

 _Why did I get chosen for this? For records?_ He thought for a moment. He glanced around, seeing those that Komui picked for the mission. _Kanda himself would have actually been enough for this if it's a kill-on-site mission. So, why did Komui pick us all? CROWs are coming along with us, too. This is more than we need._ He saw the robed CROWs behind them.

 _I'm guessing Lenalee begged Komui for her to go; Kanda is good for the offensive; I might be going for the records, but what is there to record with this? And Allen…why is he going?_ Lavi followed after Allen as he made the Ark to the destination, realising that they needed him to transport to their destination.

As they went in to get to their destination of China, Apocryphos had already arrived at where Sin would be.

* * *

"Why was he eating with us?" Tyki mumbled to Sin. They had just finished up their breakfast and had gone to walk around the estate. Road had stayed behind to talk to Leon about food choices.

"He needs to eat too, you know." Sin knew that he was talking about Li Jun. He may be a horrible person, but that doesn't mean that he couldn't eat. "He's going to help with repairs later."

Tyki stared at her like she was crazy, "You're too soft." He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I might be." Sin laughed at herself, knowing full well that she was. Soft, but assertive, she hoped.

Once they did a round of the estate, they headed back to where Leon and Road were chatting, seeing that they were arguing about which foods were the best fusions, doing extravagant gestures and funny expressions.

"…is she always like this?" Sin questioned, watching Road. She knew Leon acted like this sometimes, which didn't change from when he was young.

"Sometimes."

As the two of them went to sit down, Sin abruptly stopped, sensing something strange. She looked at the door that she came through with uncertainty, wondering why she felt that way.

 _What's this?_ She almost remembered this feeling, and she tensed, feeling her stomach drop when she remembered this exact presence only a few days prior.

 _ **So you now recognise its presence, hm?**_

 _Mei…why is it here? How did it find me?!_

 _ **My guess is that someone from the Order found out where your whereabouts were. I did warn you to get out of here quickly, didn't I?**_

"What's wrong?" Tyki looked over to her, seeing she looked preoccupied. His brows rose, waiting for her to come join him.

She turned to him with an apologetic look, "I'll be right back." And she rushed out the door.

Tyki just stare after her, wondering what was up.

 _ **They already know you're here. Your best bet is to go with the Noah and leave right now.**_

 _But what about my family?!_

 _ **That thing won't kill your family. It's only after me…and you too. So, where are you going? Just go back and tell them that you guys should leave.**_

 _I'm going to check if it's really them. If I can feel them here that would mean that they're close by—_

No longer than she had thought those words, she saw the Cardinal, standing a few feet in front of her. Her blue eyes widened as she stared at him with horror, wondering how the hell he managed to get inside the estate, and in front of her, so quickly.

The Cardinal smiled, but it was menacing. "Now, now, Seraphim. You have nowhere to run."

 _ **Tch! It's here already!**_

Sin took a step back, gulping. She was getting ready to bolt off, but she didn't know if that by itself would work to outrun such a monster.

"If you run…" Apocryphos' face darkened and an evil smile plastered on his face, "I'll kill your mother, your father and your brother." He started to walk forward towards her.

Sin froze. She stared at him with complete and utter disbelief. How did he know? How did he know they were her family?

"H-How…how did you _know_?" Her words weren't steady. She recalled Mei's words where she said that Apocryphos wouldn't harm her family, but that didn't seem like the case.

Sin took a step back as he took another step forward. They were at the left wing of the estate that currently had no people, save for a few guards patrolling here and there, but not at that moment.

"Oh, dear Cynthia. You think you could just outrun me?" Apocryphos' face started to change so that it looked like the monster she saw back in the dungeon, "It only takes a little bit of eavesdropping to know."

"Eavesdropping…?" Sin realised that the only time that he would have known her name was Cynthia, her the relation to her family was in the dining area and a little before that. Her mouth went dry when she realised that she didn't even know that he was here, let alone listening in on their conversations.

 _All this time…how did I not recognise his presence then?!_

 _ **That's simple. Because he was far away. He managed to eavesdrop by probably putting something here to listen in on your conversations. Like an object made from his body.**_

 _This is bad!_

"I see you're also acquainted with the Noah of Pleasure," Apocryphos commented, taking several steps forward. He cracked his neck and fingers, "Ah…this brings back memories. It's just like you were, Mei."

Sin didn't have time to worry about what Apocryphos was saying. She shoved her hand into her pocket to grab her Innocence, but before she could even invoke it, it had been slapped out of her hand, hitting the ground metres away. She gasped, feeling her hand burn in pain.

Apocryphos grabbed her head, digging his fingers into her head. She grabbed his wrist, trying to pull it away from her, but failed. Feather like bits began to form from his body, becoming spear like objects that separated, and grew larger, surrounding her.

Seeing the gleam of how sharp the feathers were, her wings protruded from her back, blowing away the feathers that had formed around her. Apocryphos let go of her head and skidded back when he was hit by the bladed feathers that Sin had, cutting into his face and arm.

He growled lowly. Sin's wings were smaller due to the smaller space available, but they were blades, rather than wings. It showed her resolution, but also how dangerous she was.

"…the longer you use those wings the more you will suffer, Cynthia!" Apocryphos' wounds were healing very slowly, different from if he had been hit by a normal Innocence.

Sin grit her teeth together, seeing him come at her. He was very fast, and it was hard to keep up with him. She tried to head over to where her hairpin was, but it didn't allow her, and threw numerous punches her way. When they hit her, it was so painful that she nearly blacked out. Most of the time, her wings shielded her from his ongoing offences. It was even stronger now that it had a higher resolve to kill her.

Sin could feel tears sting her eyes at the pain. She absolutely hated this, but she had to move forward. It was at times like this that she remembered her training with Kanda. She plucked a blade from her wings, ignoring the cut it made to her hand, and lunged towards Apocryphos. It stabbed him right in the arm, but with a strong push, it went through and stabbed his abdomen too, making him cry out in pain.

The winged exorcist let go of the blade and jumped back, seeing her hands all bloody from how she handled it. She gritted her teeth from the pain she was feeling, readying to send more blades towards him. Her wings fanned out and swung the way Apocryphos was, sending a barrage of feather blades his direction. Several of them hit into him even whilst he dodged, and he roared, pulling them out and throwing them into the ground.

After that attack, Sin stumbled on her feet and her vision kept jumping in between black and normal. Between the shifting visions, Apocryphos had come to her with one of the feather blades she had hit him with, his expression angry as he went forward to stab her with it.

 _ **You should have let me fight it from the start!**_

Mei took over almost immediately, finding that the fatigue that her host felt was good, but done at the wrong time. She used the wings to block the independent Innocence's attack, sticking several of the extra blades in him in the process.

"MEI!" Apocryphos shouted, pulling his arm back. It jumped back, holding its injured limbs.

" **Ow."** Mei stood up but felt that the impact of the punches from the Innocence wasn't exactly helping. She grit her teeth, " **I forgot how much your punches hurt**." She muttered.

"Why do you protect her so?!" Apocryphos pulled the remaining blades out of him, wincing terribly.

" **She is the perfect host, obviously**." Mei spoke nonchalantly, waving her hand in dismissal. She headed over to where the hairpin lay, picking it from the ground as her opponent came at her another time, which hit her wing.

Having even better control of Sin's body than before, the wing grabbed a hold of Apocryphos' arm, stabbing it slowly and painfully.

Mei invoked the hairpin, forming the spear sword that she used to use. She waved it in front of Apocryphos' face, " **You know what happens when I hit that cross of yours again, right?** " She smiled through her taunting words.

"Mei…MEI!" He bellowed.

" **Time for you to sleep for a while.** " Mei plunged the Innocence into the cross shaped mark on his chest, going right through before being pulled out. She laughed at how he tried to stop it, but got cut in the process. The wing let go of him and threw him to the side, retracting.

Apocryphos groaned and pushed himself up, jumping out of the estate. Mei watched him go, smirking slightly at how he was defeated so easily.

" **Defeated so easily, now? He must have forgotten how we used to fight**." Mei chuckled to herself.

 _ **Too bad he's immortal. I can't actually kill him**_ _,_ Mei checked on Sin's status, seeing that she seemed to be fine now.

Mei turned around, feeling the presence of Noah. She revoked the sword back into a hairpin, placing it in her pockets as she saw Tyki and Road skidding to a stop.

Road stared at her with wide eyes, with mild surprise. Tyki, on the other hand, looked baffled.

"Sin?!" He questioned. He was confused as to why her hair was silver and her eyes were red. He was sure she didn't have those coloured features.

"No, Tyki." Road shook her head, "That's Mei." She remembered her from back when the previous accommodator sought protection within the clan of Noah. She would sometimes come out and talk to them, especially with the Earl.

"Mei?" Tyki remembered how Sin mentioned 'Mei'. He finally got what she meant now, but it still confused him.

Mei just stared at them. She shrugged, but instantly regretted it at how much it hurt.

 _ **Damn Apocryphos and its stupid punches. Damn cuts on my hands.**_

" **Yup, that's me**." Mei turned to them fully, taking a few steps towards them. " **Hello, Road. Long-time no see**."

"Long-time no see, Mei." Road stared at her with curious eyes, "Did you encounter it again?"

Tyki tried to put together the pieces of the puzzle, the situation only registering in his mind when he saw the destruction around that part of the estate.

 _The reason we came here was because we felt the presence of Innocence…_ Tyki looked around, seeing that blades of Innocence that he saw in the ground before had started to fade away.

" **Yeah. Apocryphos is really persistent**." Mei rubbed her neck, sighing. " **It's still after me**."

"Did it run away?" Road asked.

" **For now. It seems it'll be back soon**."

"…what happened to Sin?" Tyki finally asked. He didn't want to just interrupt their conversation, but he had to know.

Mei turned to Tyki, " **She's fine. I'll give back her body in a moment.** "

Tyki felt a tugging by his Inner Noah, like he wanted out. It confused him, but he ignored it. "Are you the memory of Innocence?" He questioned Mei.

" **Oh? Did the Earl tell you**?" Mei asked with interest. She didn't know that the Earl would end up telling the Noah family about her yet. When she didn't hear an answer from Tyki, she nodded in confirmation, " **That's right. I am. And you, I know, is the Pleasure of Noah. Tell Joyd I said hi. See you."**

Mei let Sin's consciousness back into her body, allowing her to be herself again. She blinked at the sudden change, finding that she was looking at Tyki. He had an astonished look, like he had seen something weird, but it changed to his normal expression after.

 _Tell Joyd you say 'hi'?_ Inside Tyki's mind, he wondered.

"Tyki…Road…" Sin started. When she moved she felt pain. She grimaced, but she tried to live through it.

"…I think we should go back now. After we bandage up your hands." Road grabbed Sin's wrist, and led her along to the courtyard, "To the Noah family."

Tyki walked after them, but he felt a pulsating anger deep in his chest, which he knew wasn't his own. He had noticed that recently, especially when he felt the presence of Apocryphos, he would feel anger, as if he hated it to the very core of his existence.

He felt the anger subside quickly, but it left him completely confused.

 _Why?_

* * *

Coming out of the Ark in China, Allen, Lavi, Lenalee, Kanda and the two CROWs felt the presence of Innocence. They rushed to where the presence was, with Lenalee taking the lead as she was the fastest.

She jumped the buildings, looking to see where it was. There had been two signatures, one which was heading away, and another which was around the same area and moving, slowly diminishing.

 _Sin! Where are you?!_

As Lenalee did the search, Allen, Kanda and Lavi asked around to see if anybody knew who they were talking about, with the CROWs observing their movements. They relied on descriptions, and when they asked the people around the area, they responded with one thing: "It sounds like Princess Cynthia you're looking for. But, she's dead."

What confused them the most was how they answered it. They seemed sad, and remorseful about this 'Princess Cynthia'. However, a couple of them asked if they were actually looking for 'Prince Leon', pointing them towards the direction of the biggest estate in the area.

Lavi met up with Allen, Kanda and Lenalee, and they headed to the estate. The guard on post seemed to be talking to someone, and when they came closer, it was a young boy.

"Um, excuse me," Lenalee was the one who talked. She spoke in Chinese, since she didn't know if the boy could understand English.

"Yes?" Leon, seeing the foreigners there, spoke in English. He saw uniforms that weren't familiar at all, and wondered who the people were. "How can I help you?"

Mildly surprised, Lenalee switched languages and began to converse with the boy, "Have you seen a girl around here with short, medium black hair and light blue eyes? She has fair skin and wears blue earrings."

Leon, immediately knowing who they meant, wondered what they wanted his sister for. He shook his head slowly, "My sister is dead." He didn't tell them that they had just left the estate with Lord Mikk and Lady Road.

"Sister?" Lenalee questioned. She stared at Leon, finding that his features were similar to Sin's, which was quite strange. "Sin is your sister?"

 _I could be wrong,_ Lenalee thought.

Surprised that they knew her nickname, Leon nodded slowly, "Y-yes…Sin is my elder sister."

Lavi narrowed his eyes at the boy. He knew he was blatantly lying, through just his words alone.

 _If she was dead you'd use 'was' in past tense. 'Is'; so it seems like she's still alive and kicking, and had just come out of this place,_ Lavi concluded. He added, _the resemblance is also uncanny._

"Lenalee, let's follow the Innocence signature before it disappears." Lavi suggested.

"Tch. You better not be lying to us, kid!" Kanda hissed at the boy.

Leon jumped in his place, finding that the person who he thought was a very beautiful, tall girl, was actually a foul mouth man. He placed a hand over his heart.

"Stop scaring the boy, Kanda!" Allen sighed and apologized to the boy, saying that he was always like that.

"The signal is this way." Lavi pointed to the right. "Lenalee, go first."

She nodded and used her Innocence to go, disappearing from sight. Allen thanked the boy for his time before heading off into the direction Lenalee had jumped off to.

 _Who are those people?_ Leon thought. He was weary of them, but they didn't seem like horrible people, so he wondered if they were Sin's friends.

* * *

"I'm surprised they let you go." Road commented, opening up one of her doors in a secluded place where no one could see them. She had a lollipop in her hand. She turned to the akuma servants that had come with them. "You can go in first." She watched them go in with their luggage.

"Yes. They were very understanding." Before they left the estate, Sin's parents and family were against her leaving, but when she told them that it would be better if she left, and that she had some stuff to do, they let her go, knowing that their daughter would not go back on her word if she was intent on it.

 _They were surprisingly lenient and happy I was going with Tyki and Road, though._ Sin speculated that her parents were discussing something suspicious behind the scenes.

Road smirked and went into the portal.

"You coming?" Tyki questioned, waiting for her. He then looked to the distance, feeling someone following them. If he didn't know better, it was probably the Order.

"I will, but in a moment." Sin had felt the presence of Innocence for a while now, though scarce, she knew that the exorcists had come. The one she felt now was only one of the group.

The male Noah observed her for a moment, before nodding and going into the portal.

Sin walked closer to the portal so that she was only a few feet away from it. She turned around, feeling the presence really close by.

 _That's probably Lenalee, since she's the fastest,_ Sin guessed. As she waited for a couple more moments, someone landed a few metres in front of her, out of breath.

Indeed, it was Lenalee. She was using the new Innocence that she learnt was called the 'Crystal' type, an advanced form of the equipment type that was used against the Level 4. Lenalee had told her when she visited her cell.

"Sin!" Lenalee breathed, catching her breath.

"Lena." Sin smiled at her. "I missed you."

Seeing that smile on her face, it reminded Lenalee of how Sin smiled when she was in dire situations, which caused her to tear up. She even had one of Road's doors behind her, so Lenalee knew, that she had decided to go with the Noah.

"We'll definitely have no choice but to fight you now!" Lenalee cried, the tears finally falling.

Sin laughed lightly at how ironic that sounded. "But aren't I already fighting the Order?"

"Yes, but they said that they'll kill you with no exceptions—!"

"Lena, I don't want you to get in trouble with them. I'm going to be fine, so…please let me go." Sin only smiled, but it was empty. She was probably not going to be fine, but she would try. "I'll make sure to live and overturn this conviction that has been given to me, so that I may once again smile with you all."

There were no tears that came from Sin. She knew she had to do this, since it was the only possible solution for her.

Lenalee took a couple of steps forward, reaching out to Sin.

Sin waved goodbye, "Thank you for all this time, Lenalee. Tell the others that I'm very thankful to them. I'll miss you all." Sin took a step into the portal.

"SIN!" Lenalee wailed.

"PRINCESS CYNTHIA!"

Sin stopped in her tracks, eyes widening. She turned around, seeing Lavi, Allen and Kanda rushing up. There were two CROWs behind them, too.

Lavi panted, "Sin, are you Princess Cynthia?!"

Sin, already half in the portal, looked over her shoulder. "How did you find out, Lavi?" She asked, "I didn't tell anybody."

"We talked to your brother!" Allen started walking towards Sin.

She saw the CROWs taking out talismans and knew that she had to go.

"I'm sorry, but I must go. Thank you for all the wonderful memories." Without another word, she quickly stepped into the portal, the door slamming closed and disappearing before the CROWs managed to throw any talismans on it.

"Sin…" Allen reached into nothing.

"Tch." Kanda clicked his tongue, annoyed. Their mission objective had just escaped.

Lenalee was sobbing, crying her eyes out as she knew what this would mean. Allen and Lavi comforted the crying girl, patting her gently on the back as she cried. When she remembered the words that Sin had said when she waved goodbye, it reminded her of the boy who waved at her before he became a fallen one.

Having failed the mission, the exorcists and CROWs headed back to the Order through the Ark, reporting to Komui.

 _Princess Cynthia…_ Lavi thought, filing that important piece of information. _So 'Sin' is short for 'Cynthia', then? What did the people mean, when they said she was dead?_ It perplexed Lavi.

They had told Komui of all the information that they had heard and seen, including how Sin was supposedly Princess Cynthia, who had been announced deceased for over a few years.

Both Reever and Johnny had been there when they were giving their mission reports.

"You were right…" Reever turned to Komui, "Sin isn't her real name, but a nickname."

Komui intertwined his fingers, sighing. So he was right.

Johnny went up to Lavi, "Lavi, you said Princess Cynthia, right?" He had hints of concern and worry in his voice.

"Yeah." Lavi confirmed.

Johnny's eyes widened behind his glasses and he looked to Allen and Lenalee, "Do you remember the cold cases I talked to you two and Sin about?"

"The cold cases?" Allen questioned. Lenalee nodded, wondering what it had to do with anything.

"The last cold case that was from China…that was about Princess Cynthia Huang!" Johnny exclaimed.

"That cold case was about Sin!?" Allen and Lenalee remembered that she didn't have much of a reaction when they were telling her about it.

"Okay, enough. You all go continue helping out." Komui shooed them out, wanting space to think. Reever and Johnny were allowed to stay.

Suddenly, Komui's golem started talking, coming from the Asia branch's head, Bak Chan. "Komui! My great uncle's got something for you! He'll be there in a moment!" Bak informed.

"What do you think it is?" Reever questioned.

"This better not be a joke from him." Komui rubbed his temples. He took a sip of Blue Mountain coffee, waiting for the old man's arrival.

When he did arrive, he held something in his hands, a book of some sorts. It looked very old, but good condition.

"Komui…" Zu Mei Chan presented the book to the Chief, handing it to him with the cloth he brought it in. "You will find this useful."

Komui looked at the book, seeing that it was very old, even ancient. It was definitely hundreds of years older than the oldest books in the library. He glanced up at the Chan with wide eyes, "What is this?"

"This is the only record in the world of Seraphim, from someone who had witnessed them firsthand." Zu Mei took a step back, "But it is a very old diary. It is only in good condition because we have talismans on it to keep it from aging."

"The only record in the world of Seraphim?!" Komui was astounded. He didn't even know it existed.

"If Central finds out about this…they will destroy it." Zu Mei shook his head, "You must not let them know of this. Once you are done, return it to me." The old man left.

Reever, Johnny and Komui were all equally shocked. Komui hadn't talked to Zu Mei about Seraphim yet, so he suspected Bak might have said something to have it lead to this. They looked at the book, with Komui opening to the first page.

However, he had no idea what was written in it as it was in a completely different, older language.

"…how are we supposed to read this?" Reever asked with confusion.

"We can see if the database has anything." Komui flipped to the next page, and to his surprise, he could read it. It was in old English, something that he touched on when he was studying.

" _She was like an angel that had descended from the skies. Armed with a sword, she fought beings that were devastating to the people, and hailed as a hero. Her silver hair, her blue eyes, her beauty, her kindness, truly was a gift from the Heavens!_ " Komui looked at the illustration that went along with it; a woman with long hair and robes that fluttered in the sky. She was drawn with a halo above her head.

He flipped to the middle of the diary, finding that there were bits of blood splatter here and there.

"What happened here?" Reever asked.

Komui continued reading, " _She who hailed as a hero and angel is not much so! Civil conflict had caused her grief and tainted her very much so, spawned from the love borne between evil and good. She who was an angel had fallen from the grace of God, with power much stronger than man has ever desired, destined to plunge the world into disaster!_ "

Reading this passage aloud made Komui think about the meaning of those words. "Are they saying Seraphim will destroy the world?" He questioned almost to himself.

He flipped the page, seeing that nothing has been written. He flipped to another page, and he saw a one sentence passage.

" _No matter how long it takes, I will return to this world._ "

* * *

"Not a teary goodbye?" Tyki questioned. He was waiting on the other side of the portal, and wondered what she was doing when only one leg had come through. When her full body came through, she seemed to be waving to someone. Tyki had deduced it to be the people who had followed them; the exorcists.

"I'm sad, but I won't cry." Sin held a small, sad smile.

She looked to Tyki, then to the place in front of her. It seemed to be a fancy home in Europe, one fit for a noble.

"Welcome." Tyki walked ahead of her, motioning for her to follow. "Come on, the Earl wants to see you."

Upon hearing the Earl's name, she got nervous. Was he an enemy? Or was he her saviour? She didn't know which one.

Tyki stopped at a door that Road made. It was already open, and she could hear Road talking from the other side. Tyki brought Sin in, taking her by the hand.

He let go quickly after, standing in front of the Earl with her. Road had climbed his shoulders and changed into something more comfortable.

The Earl's big, white teeth made Sin stare at them, finding that they were impeccable.

"It is very nice to see you, Sin." The Earl started. He took a few steps forward, placing his hands on her shoulders.

Sin tensed and looked up, not knowing if she should be scared or not. The Earl was really tall and round, so he could crush her like an ant if he so wanted.

"Fear not, Sin. We will not hurt you." The Earl laughed heartily, lifting his hands from her. He took a couple of steps back. "We are simply protecting what we must."

"What do you mean?" Sin questioned. "Protecting what you must?"

With a smirk evident on her face, Road placed a finger to her lips. She giggled, sliding off the Earl. She skipped to where Sin was, smiling up at her, "Protecting a cute little Princess like you!"

Sin watched as Road climbed back up the Earl.

"Come on, I'll show you around." Tyki suggested, nudging the woman with his elbow. Sin turned to him with an uncertain nod, a little concerned about what Road meant. He grinned and placed his hands on Sin's shoulders, manoeuvring her so that she walked out of Road's dream dimension, humming a light tune.

Road stared at the door, blinking at what she just saw. She turned to the Earl, "What was that? Tyki was really happy." She giggled, "He really likes that human, doesn't he?"

The Earl chimed in with laughter, joining Road. "Quite so."


	20. Chapter 19

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #19

* * *

Sin pressed her lips into a thin, smiling line as she stared at the bowl of soup in front of her. She had almost forgotten that she was in such a situation, and currently, it didn't help that it was the Noah family she dined with.

Tyki hit her foot with his, making her look at him. He glanced over, leaning his elbows on the table. "How does it feel to dine with the Noah?"

"Positively _frightening._ " Sin whispered, holding that smile on her face.

Which was true in that aspect, as those who had assembled at the long rectangular table were all staring at her, some of their murderous aura showing, as they ate. Namely, she knew she wasn't a wanted invitation.

"Now, now, Sin, dig in." The Earl dabbed his mouth with a napkin, though it looked more like he dabbed his teeth.

"Okay." Sin nodded once and bowed slightly to the Earl before starting her meal.

The current situation reminded her of the official conferences and meetings she had when she was doing her duties as a princess. It was tiring and there were never enough of the stares and judgments that she disliked.

 _I hope Leon fares well,_ Sin wondered if Leon felt the same way about them as she did.

The table was silent as the Noah ate, with the occasional comment from Road and the twins.

"They're usually so lively," The Earl commented towards Sin. Sin looked to him, "But since we have a guest they seem to be on their best behaviour."

"THAT'S NOT IT, HEE!" Jasdero stood up and poured the rest of the soup in his mouth, wiping the excess on his chin with his arm, "Why is an exorcist eating with us?! I thought we hated exorcists!"

"Of course we hate exorcists! Sit down!" David pulled Jasdero down, huffing in annoyance.

"It seems she is an exception. I didn't think I would see you here after you fought our akuma in the Order." Lulubell had her eyes closed, but they momentarily opened to look towards the guest she sat diagonally opposite of, before closing again. She placed her spoon to the side, having finished her soup. "But if the Earl wants you here, I have no objections."

"She's a nice person!" Road chimed, mixing her soup. She waved the spoon in the air, "You know, when we fought in the Ark, she didn't even use her Innocence to attack us!" She stopped for a moment, "Except for when Tyki had awakened his inner Noah…"

Sin laughed lightly, nervous. She didn't really know what to say, so she kept quiet.

"But that's beside the point!" Road pointed the spoon at Sin, meeting the eyes of everyone on the table. "She has use for the Noah family!"

The smile that she sustained on her lips was gone. Sin didn't exactly like the sound of 'she has use for the Noah family', as it definitely indicated that they had something up their sleeves. She was curious as to what they needed her for, but also anxious at the same time. What if their plans for her were worse than the Order's?

"Hey, hey, that makes it sound like she's an object." Tyki sighed.

"Hm…I guess so." Road shrugged, then pointed the spoon towards Tyki, "But now you have an excuse to reject all those marriage proposals, right?" She grinned.

Tyki opened his mouth to protest but then closed it, knowing it was all too true. "This has nothing to do with my marriage propo—"

"Yes it does!" Road nearly screeched. "You can have an actual reason now!" She really loved to tease her uncle at any opportunity she got, and Sin was making another one.

"If I may…" Sin piped up. Road glanced at her. "There doesn't necessarily have to be another person to reject marriage proposals."

Road shook her head, "No way! That's not what I'm talking about! Tyki really—"

"Road, that's enough." Tyki raised his voice just slightly, not liking where this was going at all. Road shut up and pouted, a brooding look on her face as she stared at the two who sat next to each other.

"What the hell are you going on about?" David made a face. "It's like she's actually worth something!"

Sin didn't take that comment to heart at all. Comments like that are normally heard around at parties and at meetings, or as rumours, or said straight to the face, but they had no impact as they were only said by people who didn't know her situation.

"Now, now, David, don't speak so harshly." The Earl laughed. "She is a guest."

David gave her a long look from the other side of the table, watching and examining her. His brows furrowed. "You're the girl from the Ark, aren't you?"

"Hee! She is!" Jasdero realised, placing his hands on the table.

"…that, I am. I'm sorry to have met you under those circumstances." Sin bowed slightly at the male out of habit.

David pointed the gun at her, "If you so much as do anything, you're dead!"

Sin stared at the gun in his hand, knowing that their abilities of creation allowed them to manifest anything they so wished. If they wanted, they could have killed her already.

"Hey—" Tyki started.

"I don't think I'll be able to do anything with everyone watching me like this." Sin tittered. "How do I stand a chance against the Noah family when I'm only one exorcist?"

David held a look of surprise, before he burst out in laughter, putting the gun away. Jasdero joined him in laughter.

"You're good!" David grinned. "I like you!"

Sin sweat dropped, wondering if that was a test. Tyki let out a tired sigh.

"Now, let's dig in to the main course." The Earl took his glass of wine and hit the spoon against it lightly.

* * *

"They're a lot more human than I thought they'd be." Sin commented, walking into the room she'd be staying in. Tyki followed behind her, leaning on the frame as she looked around the room.

"We're human too, you know." Tyki reminded.

Sin, who had her back turned to him at that time, looked over her shoulder. "You're kind of like a super human, rather than just a normal human."

"Then what does that make you?" The male chuckled, pushing himself off the frame and heading in. "You're an exorcist with Innocence, so that technically doesn't make you a normal human either."

She headed to the door to the balcony, opening it so she could go outside.

"I don't think I'm that normal either." Sin waited for Tyki to come outside with her. "Does that mean we're both just abnormal? Or does it mean we're blessed by God?" She looked up at the blue sky. It was the early afternoon, and few birds and clouds were in the sky.

"I don't know. What kind of God pits his creations against each other?"

Sin glanced at him when he stood next to her. She stared at him for a long moment, contemplating his answer. He met her eyes, and stared at her as she stared at him. The longer the stare was held, the more Tyki wanted to question why she was just staring and not saying anything.

"You seem so human, but…you're a Noah." Sin reached up to his face, pushing the hair on his forehead to the side. The stigmata from before were not there. She looked to his throat, where she couldn't see the stigmata that had appeared when they fought in the old Ark.

The male questioned, "Is that a problem?" He examined her expression, her body language.

Sin fell silent, her hand going to her side. She looked away and leaned her arms against the balcony rails, staring at the city.

 _It's not that it is a problem, but rather, how we're both what we call enemies. How long can we stay on friendly terms?_ She thought to herself. It saddened her when she thought of this, because he was so dear to her.

"You don't like it?" Tyki questioned, leaning his cheek against his palm. He was leaning against the rails and turned towards Sin.

"It's not about whether I like or dislike it, but…it's _you_ , Tyki." She formed a helpless, sad smile on her face. "Even if you pull around akuma to kill people, even if you assassinate exorcists…I can't hate you."

 _Ah…_ Tyki recalled the dream he had after his inner Noah had awoken. Her voice that had spoken to him in his dream, it was confirmed that it actually happened, and her saying something similar now, reminded him of it.

Her words were also able to quell his doubts, especially when he thought she'd hate him for being someone like that.

She looked to him, "I know what you're doing isn't a good thing. But…being a Noah itself is not a crime. It's what you do with that power that makes you a good or bad person."

"So that means I'm a bad person, then." The male laughed stiffly.

"…you're neither a good nor a bad person." Sin concluded. "I've seen both sides of you, and…" She trailed off, not really wanting to say the rest of her thoughts.

… _and I know that you're someone who is also a good, and a bad person. That's why you're neither._

Tyki was content with that answer. If she had answered that he was a good person that would have made him laugh, because he knew he wasn't. If she had answered that he was a bad person, he would have agreed with that, but also questioned why she was with someone like him if he was bad. He liked the answer where it was both. It was ideal to both his white and black sides, and contrasted perfectly.

"You're the first human to know both my sides." Tyki chuckled, "Don't you think we're fated?" He sent her a smile.

"Didn't you say that line to Allen?" Sin laughed, lightly hitting him on the arm playfully.

Tyki recalled, "I did, didn't I?"

"What happened at that time? You were talking about being stripped to the underwear by him. What did Allen do to you?" Sin questioned, "Did you lose at poker?"

The male sighed. She had hit the mark spot on. That was an uncool moment for him, but he'd tell her anyway. She knew about the group's poker habits. "Yeah. He was a pro. A genuine card shark."

Sin laughed, "You want a rematch with him, don't you?"

"Yeah. Unlike you who wins on complete whims, he cheats like a pro." Tyki held onto the rails as he stretched his legs.

Sin smiled, remembering the memories where the boys, save Eeez, were playing poker. Her smile faltered when she realised they couldn't be like that anymore.

"Miss them?" Tyki asked, noticing the change in her expression. He stopped stretching his legs.

"Yeah. I wonder how they're doing. They're already lonely enough without you there, so without me, too…" Sin trailed off.

Tyki knew that always disappearing to do his Noah duties was hard for them, too. Since Sin was an essential part of the group, without her, too, it would get harder.

When Sin had left to go with the exorcists, the group's atmosphere was incredibly different, and it was hard to not miss her. Eeez probably missed her the most, as he would mention her every so often.

"You know, back in China," Tyki started, "When you gave me the bread—"

"Back then?!" Sin covered her face, feeling embarrassed. "That's so embarrassing!"

Tyki blinked at her reaction, seeing her face go ten shades of red. He then laughed, finding her reaction priceless.

"Stop laughing!" Sin pulled her hands away from her face.

Tyki had the most amused expression on his face, seeing her red one. It was so fun to tease her. " _That's strange, I feel like I can tell you anything._ " He spoke one of the lines she had said before back then.

Sin stared at him with embarrassment and shock, hearing those words from his mouth. She covered her face, letting out a high pitched squeal, "Stop it!"

" _You look really familiar to me…_ " Tyki continued to tease, finding that it was funny to watch her.

"Tyki!" Sin hit him on the arm repeatedly, before dropping down to hug her knees and cover her face.

The Noah had a smile on his face from the laughter and kneeled down so that he was on par with Sin. He laughed, seeing her ears were slightly red. He patted her shoulder gently, "Sorry, sorry, it's just fun to tease you."

Sin looked up at him, a mixed expression of anger and embarrassment on her face.

"Is it _that_ embarrassing?" He questioned.

"It's embarrassing because I didn't know it was you at the time!" Sin buried her face in her knees.

"But didn't you think it was me? You nearly said my name when you were leaving, too."

"Yeah, but it's not like I knew it was actually you!"

Tyki laughed and patted her head. It was fun to have moments like these. It put his mind away from things.

"So, you missed me, right?" Tyki grinned when she looked up at his question. The redness from her face had lightened.

"Of course I did!" She covered her face again.

"So, aren't you happy to be here with me?" Tyki tried to peer at her face.

"I'm happy but it's more complicated than that!" Sin's words were sort of muffled.

"So, you _really_ missed me?" He teased.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sin looked up, confusion spread all over her slightly red face. "Of course I missed you! How much more can I miss you?"

Tyki sighed, finding that it was difficult. He rubbed his temples, exhaling slowly.

"And you? You said you missed us too." Sin flipped the question so that she was the one asking.

"Me?" Tyki blinked at her.

"So, did you _really_ miss me?" Sin said it in the same way that he did.

"Hey, hey…" Tyki didn't like that the tables were turned on him. However, he still answered. "Yeah, I did." He rubbed his neck. It was hard to admit something about the person right in front of him.

"Tyki," Sin laughed cheekily, poking his cheeks, "You're blushing!"

He stared at her for a long second, before looking away, "No I'm not."

"You are!"

Tyki grabbed her hands, a small frown on his lips. Sin stopped, wondering what was up.

"Tyki?" She asked.

His hands became just slightly tighter around hers. She noticed, taking a look at her hands then at him. He was still looking away, but his expression was rather difficult to decipher.

"What are you thinking about, Tyki?" Sin's voice was soft.

He didn't respond, prompting Sin to stand up. She dragged him up with her as well and held his hands in hers, switching them around. She smiled up at him, "If it's hard to word your thoughts, that's alright. I'll listen whenever."

Tyki glanced at her. She had never lied to him, nor anyone else for that matter, so he knew that she would listen. Just as he was about to say something, she hugged him. He was taken by surprise and stared at her with wide golden eyes.

"I forgot to give you a hug! When I was going to see you, Momo, Clark and Eeez again, I wanted to give you all big hugs! Tyki, you're the first one!" She grinned, hugging him closer.

Stiff as he was, the male relaxed his shoulders, arms going around her shoulders. He felt content just like this, strangely. It made him happy.

 _I should stop._ Tyki wanted to tell himself not to get attached, but he knew that was impossible.

"Tyki, Sin! Can you help me with my home—" Road burst through the door and rushed inside, then stopped momentarily when she saw them on the balcony hugging. She then rushed outside, an excited, cheeky look on her face. "Am I interrupting something?"

"You look way too happy." Tyki commented, pulling his arms away from Sin. She hadn't let go yet, but when she heard Road's voice, she turned, half pulling away from the male, an arm still around him.

"You want help with your homework, Road?" Sin questioned, taking a step away from Tyki and closer to Road.

"Yes, please. I'm in a jam. It's due tomorrow." Road revealed with an innocent smile.

"Tomorrow?" Sin's eyes widened slightly, "Well, it can't be helped. I'll help."

Tyki frowned slightly when she pulled away from him, placing his hands in his pockets.

 _Why did she have to interrupt? Moreover, what's with that creepy expression?!_ Tyki could see Road staring at him with a knowing expression. It vanished the moment it came, as she had smiled at Sin afterwards, then looked back at him.

"Tyki, you come too! There's lots to do!"

"I didn't even go to school…" Tyki sighed.

"You can read and write so it's fine!"

In the end he was dragged along.

* * *

Tyki hit the bed, feeling way too tired for his own comfort. Road had really made them to do her homework for her. He didn't even get to go fishing like he'd planned that day.

Even the Earl was there to help out, and he and Sin had an unofficial match with whoever finished what the fastest. Road probably didn't even need Tyki's help in the first place but he was still dragged along.

The Noah recalled the hug Sin gave him before Road interrupted. To be honest with himself, he wanted more of them. It wasn't enough.

He covered his eyes with a hand, closing them, chuckling at himself.

 _I'm getting too attached._

He pulled his hand away from his face, staring at the ceiling. He remembered Road's words from the conversation at lunch and sat up, staring at the ground.

As much as he'd like to refuse it, her words held truth.

Tyki stood up, wanting to see Sin. He contemplated if he should, but in the end he went. He had nothing to do, anyway.

He figured he'd tease her some more.

* * *

There was a knock that sounded on Sin's room. She was staying in the room beside Tyki's.

"Come in." Sin called, loud enough for the other side to hear.

The door opened slowly, allowing in the two people.

"Earl? Road?" Sin was confused as to why they would come in at this hour. She slid off the bed and stood, cautious and nervous at the same time.

"You don't need to be nervous, Sin." The Earl pressed his hands together after walking near her. He headed over to the table and chairs near the balcony, taking a seat before telling Sin to too. Road sat in between them, licking a lollipop.

"We're just going to have a little chat." Road smiled at Sin knowingly.

Sin nodded slowly, her hands on her lap. She didn't know what to expect.

"Did you know that your Innocence is not 1, but 2?" Road leaned on her palm, her elbow on the table.

The Chinese woman was startled at the first question, not knowing that they'd be talking about her Innocence. She shook her head. She always thought it was a part of the Innocence that was her sword.

"One is the sword, and the other are your wings." Road continued, "When we say 'Seraphim', we're talking about your Innocences, but they have separate names of their own. Do you know them?"

"No, I don't. I didn't know that." It interested Sin that the Noah knew so much, but it also kind of frightened her. However, it did make sense considering the previous accommodator had joined hands with the Noah family in order to exact revenge on the Order.

"The sword is called 'Sword of Seraph', and those wings are called 'Wings of Seraph.' Together they make 'Seraphim'." Road paused, then muttered, "That's a lot of Seraph's."

The Earl chuckled, "You know Mei, don't you, Sin?"

"Yes." Sin nodded slowly, "Mei told you all this information, did she not?" It didn't surprise her that they knew about Mei.

"That's right." The Earl looked like he was smiling, but Sin wasn't sure.

"She was the first accommodator of Seraphim." The Earl lifted one finger, "One of the exorcists that we fought before the Great Flood."

"Then why—" Sin started, wanting to question why they were protecting her if they were fighting against each other.

"That's what is passed around as the official story." Road interrupted. She licked her lollipop, smiling.

Sin closed her mouth, brows creasing. It sounded like there was a lot more to the story, which was evident in how they worded it, and also what Mei had said to her before.

"That was not the case." The Earl continued, "You see, Mei didn't fight us, nor did she side with us."

"What?" Sin held a look of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"She didn't fight with either side. Instead, the only thing she did was protect her child, and she was branded a traitor." Road didn't have memories up till that point, only knowing what the Earl had told her.

"…wait." Sin thought for a moment, "Mei didn't fight against the Noah or exorcists, but only fought to protect her child?" She paused, "She had a child? How did protecting her child account to her being a traitor?"

If they were lying, Mei would have spoken up to correct them in her mind. However, she didn't hear anything from Mei at all.

 _Does that mean this is true?_ Sin wondered.

The Earl didn't seem like he was smiling anymore. Sin noted the change in atmosphere.

"She was protecting that child from the exorcists who found out that she did. She only fought them off when she realised that they would try to kill her child, and then her too, to that extent." The Earl remembered.

"But why?" The exorcist girl was utterly confused as to why. "What possible reason could they have had to kill an innocent child?"

Road stared at Sin with a bland expression. "You really don't know, do you?" She half stated half questioned.

Sin looked at Road. Did Road know, too?

"That child was born between an exorcist and a Noah."

"What…?" Sin placed a hand over her mouth in astonishment. She didn't hear anything from Mei. "…is that why she was branded a traitor?" She honestly didn't expect this.

"That's exactly it." The Earl sighed through his nose. "Once they found out that secret she had been keeping, they hunted her down."

Sin put her hands together.

 _If that was the case during that time, Mei would have had a very hard time,_ Sin thought.

 _ **Man, they're really just letting their mouths run, aren't they?**_ Mei had started to talk. Sin heard a sigh from her, _**it's true, though. I was just defending my kid.**_

 _Mei…_

 _ **Don't you go pitying me, Sin.**_

"…Earl," Sin started. She was hesitant to ask this question since she could ask Mei herself, but she wasn't sure if Mei would tell her. Since the Earl seemed to know information she did not, asking him seemed to be an appropriate option, whether or not he was an enemy.

"Yes?" The Earl watched her expectantly.

"Do you know the reason why Seraphim is an Innocence that should not be used?" She worded it a little differently to how those in the Order had. It was a question that had been on her mind for a while.

Road didn't know either. She looked to the Earl, waiting for an answer.

"Do you know what Mei did when she was attacked by those who wanted to kill her and her child?" The Millennium Earl asked, changing the subject.

"Huh?" Sin shook her head.

"She fought them, but the power she used was incredibly strong. It was difficult to control such a power, and in the end they were able to kill her." The Earl continued, "That power she used is what those at the Order are afraid of. They didn't know Innocence was able to become so strong, and in order to make sure that it wasn't able to threaten the world again, they would kill those who had it."

Sin heard the door handle move. She looked over, but saw that no one had opened the door.

"Tyki-pon, why don't you come in?" The Earl called.

She heard a sigh from the other side and the door opening, seeing that Tyki really was on the other side. He rubbed the back of his neck, walking in and closing the door behind him.

"How did you know I was out there?" He asked, leaning on the back of the chair Sin sat on with his elbows.

"I just do." The Earl chuckled.

"So, what's all this about? Story telling time?" The Noah of Pleasure questioned, seeing that everybody was around the table.

"Yup!" Road smiled. "We're telling Sin some stuff."

Tyki had heard everything that they had said, so he was curious himself. He was originally going to go annoy Sin, but now he couldn't really do that when Road and the Earl were there.

"Oh? What kind?"

"About Mei, her Innocence and some questions she's asking." The Earl responded.

"Mei?" Tyki remembered that this 'Mei' had told him to say hi to 'Joyd' for her.

"Tyki met Mei the other day." Road piped up, reminded of the fact. "I also saw her. She was fighting off Apocryphos."

At the mention of that name, Tyki's chest started to burn. He winced slightly and it went away. He let his arms drape down over Sin's shoulders, which calmed him down.

Sin looked up, seeing that he had a troubled look. She touched his hand, prompting him to look down at her.

The Earl looked to Tyki, then to Sin.

"So that is why the Order is after your head." The Earl clapped his hands together. "Needless to say, you are welcome here."

Sin looked back to the Earl, "Is it only because I possess the Innocence that harbours Mei's memory?" She added, "I feel like there is another reason why you want me here. Just because the first accommodator shared a child with a Noah, that doesn't necessarily mean that you will take kindly to others who have the same Innocence, or memory, for that matter."

The Earl chuckled, rubbing his belly. "You are thinking too much, Sin." He stood up and headed out. Road stood up too, following after the Earl with a smile.

Before she left, she turned to Tyki and Sin, "Keep it down, okay?"

Sin stared at the closed door, a little confused at Road's words. Tyki pulled his arms away and sat on the chair opposite her, crossing his legs with a small sigh.

"Tyki, what did you come here for?" Sin questioned, turning to him.

"I had nothing to do." He sighed, "I want to go fishing. Want to come?"

Sin glanced outside, seeing that it was pretty much pitch black, with the moon above their heads. "Is it the right time to fish?" She wasn't against it, but she felt like it'd be very cold.

"…maybe not." The male slumped his shoulders and stared up at the ceiling.

"Tyki, how long were you outside?" Sin asked. "Did you hear our conversation?"

Tyki looked back at her, "Yeah." He yawned and stretched.

As he did, Sin saw a scar on his wrist. She pulled her chair closer, not remembering that he had a scar like that. He looked at her with curiosity, seeing that she was focused on something.

"Tyki," She grabbed his arm, pulling up his sleeve. She stared at the scar there, seeing that it was quite big and evident.

He didn't pull his arm away, only observing her as she looked at his scar. He joked, "Are you trying to strip me?" He laughed.

Sin looked at him with a serious expression. "When did you get a scar like this?"

"The boy cut me. You were there." The Noah explained. He felt Sin touch his scar, which gave him a tingling feeling, unlike how they ached.

"Ah," Sin remembered the moment when Allen plunged the sword into him, and cut through his defences too. Remembering exactly where he had been cut, she pulled the sleeve higher, finding that near his bicep was another scar. She pulled the sleeve down and tugged at the hem of his shirt, "Take it off."

Tyki stared at her with wide eyes, mouth agape. He blinked a couple of times, not knowing whether or not she was joking, considering he just made a joke about her stripping him before.

"Do you want to see my body that badly?" He laughed, joking.

"Yes." She answered almost instantly.

Tyki was stunned by how quickly and firmly she answered. She placed a hand over his chest, then dragged her finger from one side to the other.

"I want to see the scar."

He let out a short exhale, taking off his shirt. Sin stared at his bare torso, seeing the scars that ran horizontally and vertically. She reached to touch them, lightly tracing them with her finger.

 _Allen tried to exorcist his inner Noah, didn't he?_ Sin thought. _It would have hurt._

"Tyki." Sin spoke gently. "Do these scars hurt?"

The male who observed her the whole time, took a hold of her hand that was on his chest. "They ache."

"Ah! I'm sorry, I was just…" Sin realised her mistake, trying to pull her hand back. Tyki didn't let her, holding onto her hand. She stared at him with confusion and surprise at why he didn't let go.

"It's fine." The male chuckled, "They don't hurt when you touch them."

"But they're scars, right?" Sin didn't know what to say. Was he just feigning it so that she wouldn't feel troubled?

"It's true though." The male was telling the truth. While she was there, it didn't ache as badly as it would other times. He wondered why that was and put their hands down to his lap, letting go of it afterwards to put on his shirt.

Sin retracted her hand, "How does that even work…" She mumbled to herself.

"I'm not sure." Tyki wondered himself. Since it was his inner Noah that was getting exorcised by Allen, he wondered how she could possibly calm the ache that came with his scars.

 _Oh, wait…that happened with when my chest hurt, too, from the mentioning of Apocryphos._ Tyki remembered just not too long ago, Road had mentioned the independent Innocence, and when he touched Sin, he had calmed down.

 _That's strange,_ he concluded.

Sin stared at him with an almost sad look in her eyes. "Tyki. Why do you think God has pitched Innocence and Noah against each other? It causes so much pain to both sides."

"I don't know, ask Him, not me." The male chuckled.

"I don't think He would talk to me, let alone give me any time to ask. My Innocence is hated by God, is what I'm told." Sin stood up and headed to the balcony, throwing on a bathrobe to keep herself warm.

Tyki watched her go outside, wondering what's on her mind. She seemed like she had so much to say, but at the same time, so very little. She was honest to a fault, but that was one of the things he liked.

Tyki took a blanket from the drawer and threw it around himself before going out, bundled up in warmness.

"Are you that cold?" Sin asked with a light laugh. She could see the dragon breath form at how cold it was outside. Her nose and cheeks were starting to go a light red.

Tyki shrugged, "Better warm than not." He went next to her, opening his arm up to drag her inside with him in the blankets. He grinned when he hugged her with the warmth he felt.

"W-wha…" She was about to protest, but ended up not, as it was a lot warmer. "Thanks." She said quietly, feeling her cheeks go slightly red.

Tyki observed her reaction. He didn't know if it was because of the cold, but her cheeks had gone a light red that he could just see. He rested his head on top of her head. He was quite happy like that.

Sin was reminded on a time that Tyki did something similar back when they were still travelling together. It was when it was very cold, and Eeez and she were bundled together when sleeping. Tyki had a separate blanket and pulled it over them, snuggling in close to them both to keep them warm, too.

 _When he's like this, he doesn't seem like a Noah that had slaughtered many._ Sin was conflicted. She didn't know what to feel at this point, and everything seemed like a jumbling mess.

She closed her eyes and then opened them, looking up and seeing the stars in the sky. There were a few clouds that she could see, shielding the stars from view.

This made her wonder, if there were as many people as there were stars, would she still be the one that was here with Tyki? Would she still be an exorcist that had a dangerous Innocence?

"Tyki," She said. He hummed in response, the sound reverberating through his chest. She felt the light vibration through her back.

"If…we weren't exorcist and Noah, would we still meet?" She asked quietly.

Without hesitation, Tyki responded, "I'd find you."

"That was a quick response." Sin laughed lightly, but she felt reassured. She didn't expect him to say it so easily and quickly. But, she was happy. She felt a light blush line her cheeks as she smiled happily.

His arms tightened around her when a chill came by. "It's cold out here."

"Do you want to go back in?"

"And risk taking this off? Nope."

"Then let's stay here a little while longer."

* * *

"…what are they doing?" Sheril questioned, having peered into Sin's room. He was going to talk to her about what her relation with his brother was, but seeing that they were outside bundled up in blankets, it surprised him enough that he didn't want to ask anymore.

"They're hugging, daddy." Road popped up beside him, licking the lollipop she had from before. "They're good friends."

"I don't think friends do it like that, Road." He looked to the two again.

"But they're only friends." Road stated. "Except, I think Tyki is fond of her." She hummed a happy tune.

"A Noah being fond of an exorcist?" Sheril laughed, "That's—" He shut up when he saw Road's glare on him. "Daddy's sorry."

"I quite like her. She's nice." Road commented with a smile, "She even finished my homework for me!"

Sheril just watched his daughter smile at the blanket clad duo before leaving. Sheril wasn't sure what to think. He had heard she was a princess, but he didn't take a good look at her yet, so he didn't know if he liked her or not.

* * *

Komui had checked the contents of the rest of the diary, finding that most of the entries were talking about how Seraphim was a protector, and how they protected people with their partner, which was drawn as a bald person.

"What does this all mean?" The Chief questioned himself. He had pulled an all-nighter trying to decipher what the entries meant. It was a big discovery, and he knew that he wouldn't have all the time in the world to be able to examine it.

 _That's right. Central can come in anytime, and if they see it, they'd confiscate it and destroy it. I can't let Zu Mei Chan's work go to waste!_

Komui closed the book and tied it up with the cloth it came with, putting it somewhere safe. He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.

 _There's only so much I can take from this diary. I won't be able to find out everything. The only one who would know everything is…_

Komui stopped his own thoughts, coming to a realisation and connecting what he remembered, and what he read.

 _Mei. Mei would be the one who knows everything. That time, during the level 4's attack, Rouvelier mentioned that she didn't have her 'full' power yet. If they're talking about what the diary was talking about, does that mean Mei has the power to plunge the world into disaster? If that is so, then that would mean…_

His dark eyes widened as he stared at his glasses on the table.

 _If my hypothesis is correct, it would mean that Mei knows everything. Rouvelier seems to know something, but he won't tell me._

 _They mentioned silver hair in the diary, and blue eyes. Whenever Mei takes over Sin's body, her hair turns silver, and eyes red. Does this have anything to do with the one the diary is talking about?_

Komui exhaled through his nose, rubbing his eyes. He drank some coffee Lenalee had prepared in advance for his all-nighter and rubbed his temples.

 _What does the Noah know that the Order doesn't? They must know something, if they're planning on keeping Sin with them. But what? What do they know?_

It was at times like this that it infuriated Komui that Central had the guts to throw away records.

The Chief shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

 _If only I had more information!_

* * *

Apocryphos exhaled ragged, deep breaths. It had reverted back to its human form, and hid somewhere where he would not be seen by anyone.

 _That damn Seraphim…! Mei…!_

The injuries that it sustained have not healed fully yet. They burned whenever he touched them, reminded of the winged female that had hurt him.

Unlike other times, the damage done by Mei in her current host body was much more than in her previous ones, reminiscent of how she handled her Innocence 7000 years ago.

Apocryphos put a hand over the cross on its chest, its eyes going red. Since 7000 years ago when Mei had betrayed the Innocence, betrayed God, it had never felt so much hatred. It had intensified during this short time, and only amounted in a grudge over a grudge.

Its chest burned, feeling like fire against its skin. Apocryphos clenched its teeth together, breathing heavily. All its wounds felt like that.

The last time Mei had stabbed that area on his chest was in the dungeon, but she didn't have her full strength then, and thus it was easier to heal from. However, this time, it seemed that some of the strength she had from before had come back, no doubt from the corruption that was currently happening inside Sin's mind. It had sped up.

 _Fire of Purification…_ Apocryphos thought, expression scrunching up to anger.

 _Just what is your goal, Mei?!_

The independent Innocence closed its eyes, trying to rationalise its decisions. It had a lot of things to do, and Mei was only an agenda on its list. The other, was the 14th and Allen.

Apocryphos stared at its hand, seeing a blue fire that had engulfed it. It blinked, but once it did, the fire was gone.

Inside that flame, Apocryphos was able to see what it was like 7000 years ago. Before he started to hate Mei, before he found out that she had betrayed God and gone off with a Noah.

The look on her face when Apocryphos had approached her to take away the child born between her and the Noah, was imprinted on his mind.

"Ah…so much hatred…" Apocryphos placed a hand to its face. He wanted the injuries to heal faster, but because it had been damaged by Seraphim, it didn't work that way.

 _It'll take roughly a few days to heal…_

"Sin…I will personally make sure you don't want to live in this world anymore."

* * *

"I heard that you're awfully close to that exorcist princess." Sheril was smiling, almost creepily, as he approached Tyki, who had just come back from Sin's room.

The younger male made a suspicious face when his brother approached him. "What do you want, Sheril?"

"You have all the young ladies from good families to pick from but you rejected them all!" The older brother put his hands together. "Is it because of her?"

Tyki stared at his brother as if he was crazy, then walked off, not answering his question. Sheril grabbed Tyki's arm, pulling him back.

"I'm right, aren't I?" His tone had changed to a more serious one.

Tyki sighed, "I'm tired, let me go."

Sheril pouted and crossed his arms at his younger brother as he walked away. His younger brother didn't seem like one to admit his true feelings for that matter, especially not to him.

Tyki was tired of people asking him what his relationship with Sin was. Even he himself didn't know, and it wasn't like he was going to tell others about his personal relations.

He was trying to make it somewhat obvious to Sin, but it was proving difficult. It didn't seem like she got it.

 _But she does react?_ Tyki thought to himself, walking back to his room slowly.

He was pretty confused. She was open to him, just like she was before, but it seemed like she was holding back.

 _...well, there's no rush,_ he inwardly sighed to himself, rubbing the back of his neck.

He winced when he felt his scars ache. He pressed his hand over the scar on his chest. It subsided after a moment, forcing him to release an exhale in relief.

He didn't like the pain that came with it, and wanted to stick by his friend so that he was pain free, but he knew he couldn't do that the whole time.

 _She'd get sick of me,_ he laughed lightly. He stopped for a moment, lingering outside his door. _Would she?_

* * *

 _ **So? What now?**_

 _What do you mean, Mei?_ Sin questioned. She was lying underneath the covers, about to sleep.

 _ **What are you going to do now? I mean. You're being protected by the Noah now. What are you going to do around this time? Laze around and do nothing?**_

Sin had to admit, Mei had a point. What _was_ she going to do?

 _I don't know. I don't know what I_ can _do. Previously, I was working to save people from akuma. And now, I'm being protected by the very people who use the akuma to kill people. And, to top it all off, Apocryphos and the Order both want to kill me. Ah, I'm also forgetting that the Earl might have something in stall for me, too. But I don't know what._

 _ **So you're just going to do nothing?**_

Sin sat up and hugged her knees, throwing the covers around her shoulders.

 _It's not that I'm going to do nothing. I think I can do_ something, _but it'll involve your cooperation._

 _ **And? What is it?**_ Mei had an idea of what Sin wanted, but she couldn't be sure, since she sometimes changed her questions at the last minute.

 _I want to understand this whole situation, and I want you to tell me. Tell me from the start, what happened for them to believe you were a traitor._

There was silence on the other side. Mei didn't know whether she wanted to tell her or not, especially at a time like this, where it seemed quite inconvenient.

 _ **I'll tell you when the time is right. Right now, just focus on what you need to do, okay?**_

 _Mei? What I need to do? What?_

 _ **Sort out how you're feeling about everything first. And, that includes Tyki.**_

 _Wha…what's Tyki got to do with this!_

 _ **You're dense. Anyway, goodnight.**_

 _Wait, Mei?!_

Sin got nothing more from her.

"What…" She clenched her hands with the covers, "What's Tyki got to do with this…"

She became silent. _What I'm feeling about everything? I'm confused and overwhelmed, that's what. Tyki's probably the one keeping me in check. If he weren't there—_

Sin stopped her own thoughts, scared of how the outcome would have been if he truly hadn't been there with her. Sure, she had other friends she could rely on, but the fact that it was Tyki, was something surprising, but not surprising at all.

— _I wouldn't be here._

Sin slid back down into the covers while still hugging her knees. She was so confused; what _did_ she feel about Tyki?

He's a good friend and someone she can rely on, someone she can smile with, and someone who knew her from when she was a princess, a traveller, an exorcist, and now, a former exorcist and fugitive.

He was gentle with her, and someone she could freely speak her mind to, but also someone that teased her.

 _Does that mean he's a bully?_ Sin thought with an even more confused expression.

Her expression relaxed.

She did like Tyki very much, but she wasn't sure if she could trust him fully. She didn't want him to turn out to be someone like Li Jun, someone who she had trusted fully, but someone who had betrayed her.

She didn't want to be hurt like that again, and she was scared of the possibility that someone she was so fond of, would do that.

 _But…his touch is so gentle._ Sin shook her head, trying to rid her thoughts of Tyki.

She hoped, she hoped to the God that hated her Innocence that he wasn't like that.

* * *

" _HELP!" Leon screamed, running down the hallways. He was out of breath, but he couldn't stop. He headed to the courtyard where he was going to get the guards to help, but when he got there, they were on the ground, unconscious._

 _The boy inhaled sharply when he heard a scream from inside the estate, horror filling his veins. It was dark at night, and he knew that the spies that they had employed were trying to fight off the intruder._

That was no ordinary intruder… _Leon tried to catch his breath, but the sight of such a monster had deeply imbedded into his mind, and he was frightened to the core._

 _The boy quickly ran to his parent's room, knocking on their door loudly, "FATHER! MOTHER!" He cried desperately. He waited for a moment, hearing nothing from the other side. His blood ran cold as he hit his fists against the door again, banging harder._

" _FATHER, MOTHER!" When they didn't respond, he forcefully broke down the door and went in, rushing to them._

 _However, when he took one step into the room, he slipped and fell. He cried out in pain, immediately pushing himself up from the liquid that was on the floor._

" _What…" He began, but then when he took a whiff of the air around him, his blue eyes widened._

 _His lips quivered as his eyes watered. He pushed himself up, his body trembling as he saw two bodies in front of him. He recognised them as his parents. He crawled to them immediately, shaking them lightly by the shoulder to see if they were awake, a feeling of dread in his stomach._

" _Father? Mother?" His voice was a whisper as he shook them, but no matter how much he did, they did not move. He felt tears come down his cheeks when he pushed them over so that she could see them, but instantly regretted it, seeing that they had holes through their chest, right where their hearts were, their expressions lifeless._

 _Leon placed a hand over his mouth as he turned to the side, wanting to throw up. He felt his vision go blurry, but he didn't know whether it was from his tears or from how sick he was feeling._

 _His breathing became faster as he heard footsteps outside. He could hear his heart thumping loudly against his chest._

Did the intruder do this?! _Leon clenched his shirt near his chest, quickly going over to hide behind the door that wasn't broken down._

 _He covered his mouth, not letting out a sound. He watched the shadows on the ground, hoping that the monster like intruder did not come, but his hopes were dashed, when he saw the shadow and ominous presence._

 _He wanted to let out a cry, a scream, but he couldn't, because that would give him away._

" _I know you are there, young boy." The voice spoken almost sounded like they were taunting him. But, the boy did not respond._

" _Leon, was it?" The intruder grabbed the door's side and peered in, looking down at the corpses of the royal family._

 _Then, the person stepped inside. Leon pulled his body closer, trying to stay hidden. He shook, fear taking over his very being. The boy looked up through tearful, wide eyes, seeing the contrast of thick shadow and white light on the person. It was a bald person, who didn't have a nose or ears, and was shirtless._

 _Leon noticed that the person had wounds on them, ones that would look like it would kill a person. Except, the_ thing _in front of him didn't seem at all human._

" _Let this be a warning to your sister." The male snarled, eyes going red from fury. He had turned his head and looked slightly over his shoulder to where Leon was hiding, sending him a ferocious look that rivalled the look of predators on prey._

 _Leon didn't make a peep of sound._

" _If she continues this stupid façade…you will be next." The bald man's frightening gaze lingered on Leon for a long moment, then he turned back around, going out the door._

 _After a moment, Leon's shaking hands dropped to the ground and he cried, sobbing as he wailed in fright and sadness. Leon stood up shakily, but found that there was no strength in his legs, causing him to fall back down._

 _He cried harder, but wiped his tears away, going over to his parent's corpses and closing their eyes, holding their faces as he touched his forehead with each of them._

" _Mother, father…!" He sobbed. He crawled through the blood that was on the ground and out of the room. He was going to check on everyone else in the estate. He needed to know if they were alright._

Please, please don't let them be hurt!

 _Several times, Leon had faltered even on his arms and legs. He had resorted to crawling, as his legs wouldn't allow him to properly walk. He crawled all the way, checking each and every room that he knew was occupied. In each room that he checked, the servants that stayed were unconscious, but they were not hurt._

Thank goodness! _Leon ended up back at the courtyard, breathing a ragged sigh of relief that nobody else was hurt. But, the mere thought of his parents being dead brought him on the brink of tears, which spilled without a second thought._

 _The intruder's words echoed in his head, making him want to scream out._

Big sister, big sister, is she okay?! _Leon put his hands on his face, staining them with blood. But, he didn't care._

 _All he wanted to do was scream._

* * *

Sin awoke immediately, breathing heavily. She pressed a hand to her forehead, wiping off the cold sweat that had accumulated. She stared at her hand, finding that it was shaking.

 _That dream…_ she remembered it vividly. It was terrifying. She pressed a hand over her heart, wondering if it was a premonition.

She had a very bad feeling about this.

She pulled off her covers and quickly rushed out her door, not caring at how much noise she made. She ran down the hallway, as fast as she could to where she knew Road's portal was last, finding that it was there, the door opened. She quickly went in, seeing that Road was sleeping in a bed in the middle of the room, huddled up against the human form of the Millennium Earl.

Sin quickly went over to where Road was, shaking her on the shoulder lightly to wake her. "Road! Wake up! Road!" Sin was almost desperate.

"Hm?" The Noah opened her eyes, then rubbed it drowsily when she saw Sin. "What is it? It's late."

"Road, please, let me use one of your doors!" Sin insisted, trying to regain her breath.

Road gave her a funny look, tilting her head slightly. "What happened?" She stretched a little and hopped off the bed, grabbing Sin's hand and dragging her outside with her.

"I think something might have happened at the estate!" Sin had an incredibly worried look on her face. That horrible feeling at the pit of her stomach didn't go away.

"The estate? You mean where Leon is?" Road questioned.

Sin nodded fervently. "Yes! Please, let me go check on them! Please!"

Hearing the desperation in her voice, Road wondered what why she was so worried. "Okay. I'll make a door now, then." A door started to materialise in front of them, next to the one where she was sleeping in.

"I wake up because you'd slammed the door and I find you're trying to escape? Wow." Tyki yawned as he came up to them. He opened one eye, then opened the other when he saw the look on Sin's face. "What's wrong?" He went up to her.

"I'm going to check on the Huang estate. I'll be right back, so—"

"You're not thinking of going alone, are you?" Tyki grabbed her by the back of her shirt, which was wet from the cold sweat. He commented, "What happened here?" He let go when she turned around.

"I'll explain later!" She went over when the door opened for them. She quickly went in.

Tyki sighed and rubbed the back of his head, "I'll go with her." He followed after her.

"So, what's wron—?" Tyki stepped out of the door, but when he did, he had stepped on something squishy, which he immediately took his foot off. He looked down, seeing that it was one of the guards that he had seen from the Huang estate, but unconscious.

Sin gulped thickly, having already stepped out of the door. Tyki hopped next to her and looked around, seeing that it was dead quiet.

Sin got hold of the smell of iron, something she always disliked the smell of. It reminded her of blood.

 _Blood?!_ Sin's blue eyes widened as she quickly rushed to where she knew her parent's room to be. When she reached the stairs that led up to the wooden porch on the right wing, she looked to the ground, seeing that there were stains of blood, like something had been dragged.

Sin's mouth opened in shock, remembering that dream she had.

 _Everything…is the same…_ she took in a quick breath and rushed up the stairs, following the blood stains. Just like she had suspected, they had gone to her parent's room, and the door was broken down, just like that dream.

The stench of blood was strongest around that area, and Sin knew, that her dream did not lie.

She stopped abruptly and stood just a few feet away from the door, trying to ready herself for that moment. She took slow steps, and when she reached the door, she looked in.

Sin froze. The moon was just above them, illuminating the section that was just past the door. Her mouth went dry and her lips quivered as she stared at the bloodied ground and the bodies of her parents.

Tyki knew this familiar stench of blood and peered over Sin's shoulder, seeing the scene in front of him. The smell of blood was so strong, he had to cover his mouth.

Sin took a step inside, not caring if the blood stained her feet. She walked slowly to the bodies, seeing that, just like the dream, their eyes had been closed, with blood stained on their cheeks.

She knelt down and placed a hand on both her parent's cheeks, closing her eyes, her head down. She tried to steady her breathing, tried to liken it to a dream. But, she knew it wasn't.

She went over to one of the drawers and took out a towel, heading back to where the door was before wiping her feet and throwing the towel back in, holding on to a spare one.

Tyki followed after her. She was deathly silent and had gone quite pale, so he didn't want to say anything. He noticed that everyone else was just unconscious, and it was just her parents that were killed.

 _A pretty cruel way to kill them,_ he noted. _Who am I kidding?_ He did the exact same thing.

"Leon?" Sin called, finally breaking her silence. She was trying to find him, and had gone back to the courtyard. The blood stains would have disappeared after a while of being dragged, so she didn't know where he could have gone.

Tyki glanced around, finding that Leon could be anywhere.

"Leon!" Sin called, this time, louder. She waited for an answer.

The Noah pointed into the direction of the guest rooms, "I heard something there." It was almost like a rustle, but it also sounded like a cry.

Sin was already ahead of him and opened the door to the first one. She heard crying, and sobbing, that was a lot louder now that she was closer. She took a couple of steps into the room and turned to the source, finding that her brother was curled up against the wall, crying his eyes out.

"Leon!" Sin gasped and knelt down so that she could see him properly, placing her hands on his cheeks, "Leon! It's me!"

Leon temporarily stopped, his eyes wide when he heard his sister's voice. But then, he bawled harder, coming out from being curled in the corner so that he was hugging his sister, trembling.

Sin held onto her brother, patting him gently on the back. As much as she wanted to cry, she couldn't. It hadn't settled in that her parents were killed.

"B-b-big sister! I-I was so scared!" He wailed.

Sin picked him up, carrying him so that they were outside in the courtyard. "Leon, it must have been really scary. Are you alright?"

"N-No! Father and mother…father and mother…!" He choked on his words as he repeated them, burying his face into her clothes.

Sin closed her eyes, an unreadable expression on her face. She put him down and hugged him, gently stroking his back, "Leon, what happened?"

"An i-intruder…! An intruder d-did this…!" Leon hiccupped. "They said that I was n-next! That s-said that t-this is a w-warning to you…a-and that you need to stop your façade…!" Leon tried his best to tell Sin what happened, but she already knew.

 _It's exactly as how the dream was,_ Sin steadied her breathing, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her yet. She pulled away from Leon.

"What did the intruder look like?" She asked. She already knew who it was, but she wanted to hear it from Leon, to confirm that it was indeed true.

"H-He was b-bald…no n-nose, or e-ears…a-and…he looked…terrifying…" Leon closed his eyes, letting the tears stream down his face.

Sin grit her teeth together, knowing those features all too well. She held onto her brother's hands, with one of them going up to wipe his tears, "Leon, please be strong. Is this how a prince should act?" She questioned.

Leon shook his head and tried to wipe his own tears away. He tried not to cry, but it was proving hard.

"That's better." Sin smiled warmly at him, "Listen, Leon. I don't have much time to stay here. I can't stay here for too long, so I need to leave everything to you. The servants aren't hurt, so they'll most likely wake up soon." Leon nodded, his grip of her hand tightening. "You will be forced to become head of the family in my absence, Leon. I'm sorry that I can't stay with you."

Leon looked up at her, sadness present in his swollen eyes. He nodded, knowing the reason.

"I'm sorry that I cannot be with you anymore than this." Sin apologized. "But I'll stay with you until the servants wake up." She placed a hand on Leon's head and rubbed it tenderly. After, she used the spare towel to wipe away the blood that had gotten on him.

 _I'm sorry, Leon. I'm sorry._

Tyki came over, kneeling down so that he was on level with them. He was in casual clothes, but he knew the boy recognised him.

"Hey, Leon. Remember me?" Tyki tried to ease the situation with a smile.

Leon glanced over at Tyki, not noticing him until he was actually there. "L-Lord Mikk…what are you doing here?" His voice had stabilized.

"I came with your sister. We came through that door over there." Tyki pointed to Road's door. Sin glanced at him, wondering what he was up to. He glanced at her and winked, confusing the female further.

"That door…?" Leon looked to the door. It seemed to be floating in the middle of nowhere, so it puzzled him. "You came from that?"

"Yup. It's a magic door that allows us to come here whenever we want." Tyki grinned at the boy, rubbing his head just like Sin did. "You know what that means, right?"

Leon stared at Tyki with wide eyes, then at Sin, before going back to Tyki again. "I can see big sister again…?"

"That's right." The Noah nodded. "We can drop by sometimes, and you can see your sister."

Leon was on the verge of crying again, but this time, from happiness. He smiled as he cried silently, those words reassuring him. That would explain how they got there right after something happened.

"Big sister, how did you know something had happened?" Leon asked, wiping his eyes.

"I had a dream that something was happening. Everything was the same." Sin cast her gaze down. "I was worried so I came."

"I'm happy you came…" Leon exhaled, "But I'm fine now."

Sin stared at Leon for a moment, knowing that what he just said, was far from the truth. He was trying to be strong, but she knew how fragile he really was.

"Leon, it's okay. We'll stay here until the servants wake up." Sin reassured. "Come on, you need some rest. I'll take you to the guest room."

"No, I'll stay here. I'll stay awake until you leave." Leon nodded his head, holding onto Sin's pant leg.

"Alright."

* * *

After a long while of waiting and exchanging conversation with each other over small things, as well as stories of when she travelled with Tyki, Leon was finally tired enough to fall asleep.

Sin placed him near the unconscious guard, making sure that he was safe. She shook the guard a little, and he murmured in his unconscious state, about to wake up.

She rubbed Leon's head before standing up and going to Road's door, where Tyki waited.

"Ready to go?" He asked, extending a hand.

She stared at his hand for a long moment, before nodding and taking it, going through the door. When they reached the other side, they didn't see Road there. She had gone back to sleep beside the Earl.

Tyki held onto her hand as he stepped out of the door, leading her back to her room. Once they reached it, he led her in, closing the door.

"It's okay to cry, you know." Tyki turned to her, not letting go.

Sin stared at him with a pained expression, shaking her head. "I won't cry." A bitter smile went onto her lips as she headed to the bed, wanting to rest. It was still dark outside, but the room was dimly lit with lamps.

Tyki let go of her hand, observing her as she climbed into the bed. He turned to go to his room, exiting quietly.

Sin heard the door close. She closed her eyes, but when she did, the images of her parents came back to haunt her, as well as Apocryphos.

 _Apocryphos…! How dare you! How_ dare _you!_ Sin glared at the wall, anger in her veins. In a moment, it quelled, and sadness replaced it.

The door opened again. Sin didn't even bother to check who it was, since they walked all the way over to the other side of the bed, the way she was currently facing, holding a couple of books.

"Why did you come back?" Sin questioned quietly, surprised. She had rolled to turn to him.

Tyki sat down on the bed, putting the books down beside him. He turned to Sin, "I just felt like it."

Sin stared at him for a long moment. Her eyes began to tear up, the tears falling to the side, staining the pillow. She sobbed, feeling her heart wrenching at the sadness she felt, the sadness she had to hold back.

 _Why?_

She covered her face with her hands, wailing.

 _Why did this have to happen? Why are they taking away those that are precious to me?_

The Noah reached over and took one of her hands, but when he did, she held onto his hand tightly, holding it to her as she cried.

Tyki was quite surprised when she did. A ghost of a smile came onto his lips as he crossed his legs, sitting at an angle.

When she had calmed down and fallen asleep, Tyki looked over to her, seeing that she was still holding onto his hand as if she didn't want to let go.

"You finally calmed down." Tyki's voice was soft as to not wake her. He took a tissue from the side and dabbed her face of tears.

As he did, her hands tightened around his, prompting him to chuckle.

 _It's like you don't want to let go,_ the Noah put away the tissue.

The reason Sin didn't want to let go, was because she feared that if she did, he would also be taken away from her, and that very thought frightened her incredibly so.

"Don't worry, I'll stay right here."


	21. Chapter 20

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #20

* * *

 _It's so warm._

Sin shifted from her position, changing to the other side. As she did, she heard a sound, and something heavy go on top of her mid-section. She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a hand she held onto, one that she knew very well. She saw the scar that was on the wrist, and immediately let go, sitting up abruptly.

"Tyki!" She spoke with surprise. She laughed nervously when he pulled his hand back, pushing himself up from crushing her. "I, was I, ah, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—"

"Good morning to you too." He laughed. He closed the book he was reading, putting it on the side of the bed, atop another one.

"…good morning." Sin felt like an idiot for overreacting. He was taking it in stride, and didn't seem to mind. "Um…I'm sorry for taking your hand like that."

Her memories were fuzzy from last night, and all she could remember was not wanting anything else to be taken away from her.

"You didn't want to let go." Tyki teased with a grin. "You were holding my hand pretty tight." He didn't mention that he was forced to stay like that for over 5 hours.

Sin looked away, mumbling some incoherent words that were just a bunch of gibberish. She didn't know whether to feel embarrassed or not, as she'd held his hand before many times.

"Come on, let's go eat something. I'm starving." He stretched.

Sin nodded slowly, slipping out of bed. She headed over to the drawers to find something to wear, finding long pants and a shirt.

"I'll wait outside." Tyki waved his arm lazily before heading out.

As Sin changed, she racked her brain, trying to figure out what happened the night before. She remembered bawling her eyes out and sobbing like there was no tomorrow, but she didn't once remember taking Tyki's hand.

 _When did that happen?_ She pressed a finger to her forehead, closing her eyes in concentration. _I did feel better when holding that hand, but seriously, when did I actually?_

 _ **You don't remember? Pfft. You started crying when lover boy came into the room with a few books and you thought he had ditched you, and then you started crying waterfalls because you were sad your parents died. Then you grabbed his hand and didn't let go until you woke up.**_

Sin gaped, the memories finally coming back to her. Her cheeks filled with red as she hurriedly put on new clothes, bathing in embarrassment. When it died down, she realised the reason she didn't want to let go, and sighed. Remembering the night before was hard, and only made her sad when she thought of it.

 _Mei, didn't you say that Apocryphos wouldn't endanger anybody besides us?_

 _ **That's what it did before us. It never harmed anybody apart from us. This time it's different.**_

 _My father, my mother, had nothing to do with this! How could it? And Leon, he doesn't deserve to have witnessed anything like this, either!_

Sin shook her head, heading out. She didn't want to keep Tyki waiting. He was yawning when she came out.

"You all done?" Tyki blinked away his blurry vision, walking ahead of her. She caught up to him, seeing that he looked quite tired.

"How long were you awake for?" Sin questioned. Mei had mentioned she held his hand for the whole time she slept. That would mean that Tyki didn't sleep at all, and was beside her the whole time. When she thought about that, she felt slightly guilty that she didn't allow him to sleep.

"I think around 6 hours or so." Tyki yawned again.

Sin gasped at how long that was, "What?! I'm so sorry! You were up the whole time because of me…"

"Yeah, any longer and I would've started sleeping, too." The male threw an arm around her, slightly leaning on her as he closed his eyes temporarily.

She touched his arm hesitantly, before letting them drop to her sides. "You would've woken up to the smell of food." She commented. That happened many times over the course of when they were travelling.

Tyki opened one eye, noticing. He then chuckled, grinning. "True."

"Eh, you're like this even in the morning?" Road skipped up to them, hugging Sin with a grin.

"Good morning, Road." Sin greeted the smaller one. It was quite awkward being in between a hug from Road and Tyki.

Road let go, tugging on Sin's sleeve. She looked to her. "Sin, are you okay?"

Seeing the concern of the Noah, Sin nodded, placing a hand on her head, ruffling her hair lightly. "I'm okay, thanks for asking." Road didn't question further, just staring at her partially swollen eyes.

Tyki let go of Sin when they approached the dining room, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Sin, I want to visit Leon after." Road spoke quietly.

Sin's lips pressed into a thin line, not sure if she should. At this point in time, the whole estate would be swarming with the authorities to figure out what exactly happened, and there would be lots of security.

"Maybe not now, Road. There'll be lots of security." Sin expression was unreadable even with the small smile she had on her face. "We have to wait until it dies down."

Road stared at Sin for a long moment, then nodded slowly.

"I'll wait, then."

* * *

The Order was still cleaning up from the mess that Lulubell created. When Lenalee, Kanda, Allen and Lavi came back from the failed mission in China, they were all dispirited, with Kanda being the only one angry.

Lenalee was packing up Sin's previous room, seeing that she barely had anything in it. The only things that were there were some books she had borrowed from the library, which she hadn't finished reading.

The Dark Boots user headed to the book, taking a look at its contents. It was a book on Innocence and what the previous accommodators did. She opened to the page Sin was at, seeing a bookmark that had a flower in it.

 _That's…the iris that she got from our first mission together,_ Lenalee smiled small and took out the bookmark, keeping a hold of it. _She was so happy when she got it made into a bookmark._

She proceeded to put all the small items into a box, finding that it didn't even fill up half of it. _She didn't have that many things, did she?_

Allen was in the cafeteria, thinking to himself, wondering what's going to happen from now on. Sin was put on death sentence, escaped prison, gone with the Noah, and is now a fugitive.

 _That's no good…_ Allen sighed to himself, staring into space. _She went with Tyki Mikk, too. Was she going to do that at the start? Is this what she meant by royal flush?_ He shook his head, shaking away his doubts.

 _But…she was sad when she found out he was a Noah. She didn't really fight him; Mei did. Just like in the Ark…ah._ The white haired exorcist remembered the moment when Mei had talked to the transformed Tyki, and it seemed like Mei had known him for a while. It confused him, and even more so when that transformed Tyki screamed out in pain but still fought her.

 _Rouvelier mentioned she didn't have her 'full power' yet,_ Allen recalled the mess at the Order not too long ago. He was barely awake then, but still managed to hear. _But she was so strong…_ He scratched his head in confusion, _but Mei's the only one that uses that power. Sin doesn't._ Allen placed his head on the table, _just what is she?_

Lavi sweat dropped, having watched Allen while he was thinking. He himself already had an idea of what he was thinking about, which led to some thoughts within his mind.

 _That's right. Sin is Cynthia Huang. The princess of an imperial family. Considered dead 5 years ago, but somehow managed to keep her identity hidden until now. Not even the world knows she's alive,_ Lavi started walking in a random direction. _A princess that the whole nation, especially those that lived near them, treasured. They weren't able to find her since they didn't have any solid proof of what she looked like. She didn't take many pictures, and ones that she did, they were all too far away._

 _Who knew she'd end up an exorcist?_ Lavi turned a corner, _when I met her she didn't seem like a princess, though her manners were refined. She blended well with the people around here, but at the same time, she was somewhat detached._

 _Now I get it,_ Lavi stopped, having walked to the training room. He shrugged and walked in, seeing Kanda and Marie sparring instead of helping with the move.

Kanda seemed to be saying something each time he hit the cushioned pads that Marie had, something along the lines of 'DIE!' and 'Go eat shit!'

Lavi sweat dropped. _Yuu seems really annoyed that he failed the mission. I guess I'll go leave, then…_

* * *

Sin stood outside on the balcony of the room she stayed in, leaning on the rails. She seemed to be doing that a lot recently, but it was one of her only comforts to see the outside world.

She was thinking about her parents and her brother; the happier times from when she was younger. As a princess, most of the time she was surrounded by people who weren't her family, with the exception of Leon. Leon was around 7 years younger than her, and she remembered the time when her mother was pregnant with him, and her rubbing her belly, excited that she was going to be an older sister.

Their happy faces when her family saw her for the first time in half a decade. She was so happy to see them again, even if it was under bad circumstances.

 _But now…_ Sin closed her eyes, feeling them water. She took a few deep breaths before opening her eyes again, staring at the clouds in the sky. _They're not here anymore._

She wanted to cry, but she was tired of crying tears. Crying wouldn't bring them back, and she knew that.

 _Why does sadness follow me wherever I go? I thought that, by being an exorcist, I was able to help innocent people from getting killed. But…by being this exorcist, I'm causing innocent people to lose their lives. That's the opposite of what I want._

 _Why did it become like this? Why?_

She recalled her encounter with Apocryphos, and it threatening to kill her family.

 _He really went through with that threat. 'Stop this façade', he said? What façade? What's so wrong about wanting to live?_

 _Is it because Mei's memory will take over mine and she'll destroy the world? It's unlikely but I don't even know her goal so what am I to say?_

She was suddenly reminded of Cross Marian's words: 'Do not be consumed by it. If you do, all that you love will be lost'.

 _Is he talking about how Mei will take over my body and cause havoc? It sounds ominous, that what I love will be lost._

Sin pressed her forehead on her forearms, closing her eyes.

 _Would this stop if I died?_

She paused for a brief moment.

 _No, it wouldn't._ Sin opened her eyes, staring at her feet. _There would be a new accommodator and it would just be a repeat of what happened now. There wouldn't be a stop to this cycle._

 _ **Interesting. You're actually thinking of a ways to kill me?**_ Mei questioned. Sin had had a brief thought of how to get rid of Mei, but dismissed it quickly.

… _I don't think I can kill you, Mei._

Laughter sounded.

 _ **There is probably only one way to. I don't think I need to tell you just yet. However, I will tell you this. The answer lies with the original use for your Innocence.**_

Sin sighed and pushed herself up, not knowing what Mei meant. Mei liked to send cryptic replies to her, and she didn't answer a lot of questions, saying 'later', each time.

"When is she going to tell me?" Sin mumbled to herself, pushing her hair back.

 _And what am I going to do about Apocryphos? Find him and kill him? But he's immortal, right? How can I? And the Earl…just what does he want with me?_

"Ah—" Sin abruptly fell to her knees, her legs having gave out under her. She felt a throbbing pain in her head, similar to a headache, but not exactly. It felt like an invisible force was trying to pull away her consciousness. Placing her hands to her head, she doubled over, feeling a burning sensation in her back as well.

 _What…what is this?!_ Sin squeezed her eyes shut, trying to steady her rapidly increasing breathing and heart rate. She fell onto her side, clutching her head and curling into a ball.

 _Is…is this what happens when Mei's…taking over…and when…each accommodator…goes insane…?!_ She silently screamed, letting out ragged breaths.

 _ **Ah, there it is. Yes. Painful, isn't it? This is what happens the longer you use the Wings of Seraph. The more you use it, the more you'll be plagued by these headaches. They're strong because you're fighting it. Those who just accept it won't feel any pain.**_

Sin's vision flashed in and out of consciousness, until she finally fell unconscious, black starting to envelop her mind.

 _ **This happened a lot later than I thought. That seal Cross put must have started to wear out. Well, no matter.**_

 _ **Sorry, Sin.**_

* * *

Tyki knocked on Sin's door, having not heard from her for the whole day. He called out her name, then waited. When she didn't come out, he knocked louder and said her name louder, but heard nothing again.

 _Is she not in there?_ Tyki opened the door, looking in. When he opened it fully, he saw that the lights weren't on even though the sun had just set, and the balcony door was open. He headed over to the balcony, seeing something on the ground.

"Oi, Sin, you there?" He called.

When he didn't get a reply, he took a closer look at the thing on the ground, realising that it wasn't a some _thing,_ but a some _one._

"Sin?!" Surprised, the male kneeled down, seeing that she was unconscious, curled into a ball, her breathing ragged.

His brows creased and he picked her up, finding that something was amiss. Going inside, he placed her on the bed, pressing a hand to her forehead. She didn't seem to have a fever, but her forehead was clad with sweat.

 _What's going on?_ He narrowed his eyes, going to close the balcony door. He went back over to Sin, seeing her writhe before she calmed down, her face pale. Her breathing had stabilised, but her face was scrunched up in pain, then changed to an expressionless one.

Tyki questioned what just happened.

He rubbed his neck, unsure. When he glanced back at Sin, he saw that her hair was going silver, but then it faded back to black after a moment.

 _What was that?_ Tyki recalled Mei and how she had silver hair. _Is this what the Earl was talking about?_ The Earl's words about Seraphim taking over the mind of its host came back to Tyki, which made his eyes slightly widen.

 _That would mean…Sin's getting swallowed by this memory?_ He likened it to the Noah memories, wondering how such a thing could happen with Innocence.

The Noah had previously laughed off the prospect of her getting taken over by her Innocence, finding it ridiculous that Innocence would be able to do such a thing.

He frowned, _this isn't so funny anymore._

* * *

The Cube began to glow green, then switched to glow red, before violently shaking, thrashing about. Hevlaska doubled over, stopping mid-sentence as she groaned in pain.

Rouvelier, who she was speaking to, held the rails as he inspected what was happening with the Cube, sharp eyes going wide. "Hevlaska! Is it Seraphim?!" His gloved hands clenched around the bar as he leaned forward.

"Urgh…it's..." Hevlaska started.

 _ **Heh…hehehehe…haha…hahaha!**_

Hevlaska and Rouvelier both froze as they heard the laughter dance in the air. A chill went up the Inspector's spine as he tensed, frowning.

 _ **You're cruel, cruel, cruel…hahahaha!**_

The laughter, the voice, sounded sinister, mocking.

 _ **I will never…forgive you. Exorcists and Noah alike…I'm coming for you.**_

The laughter died down, and along it, the Cube relaxed. Hevlaska exhaled deeply, relieved. "That…there is no doubt. That…was Seraphim."

Rouvelier gritted his teeth, letting go of the bar. He looked to Hevlaska, "What do they mean, Exorcists and Noah alike?!"

"I…don't know." Hevlaska could only answer like that.

 _If Seraphim is after both Exorcists and Noah, what are they planning? Weren't they in league with the Noah family because the Order could only pursue them?!_ Rouvelier narrowed his eyes, _it makes me hate God more now that Seraphim is in the hands of the Noah! Such a powerful Innocence! The Earl will no doubt try to steal it._

He turned around, getting out of the lower chambers, _no matter. Seraphim will eventually be mine in the end._

* * *

Blue eyes fluttered open, vision blurry. Sin felt tears go down the side of her face, touching her ears. Her finger twitched as she pushed herself up into a sitting position, noticing that someone was sleeping on the side.

It was Tyki. He was still sleeping soundly.

 _What time is it?_ Sin looked to the clock, unable to see the time. It was still dark, and the lights were out. It didn't look like the sun would come up anytime soon.

 _I'm guessing it's late…how long was I out?_ Sin pressed a hand to her head when she recalled what happened before, remembering how the pain felt.

 _My head…is fine?_ Sin placed her hand on her lap, _it felt like it was going to split open…_

 _Mei said that I was getting closer and closer to becoming taken over by her. That if I fight it, it will hurt more…what did she mean when she said that Cross placed a seal? When did this happen? What seal?_

 _And…why did she apologize?_

Sin closed her eyes to take a breath, but the moment she did, images flashed into her head, causing tears to sting her eyes, just like when she woke up.

 _Ah…now I know why,_ Sin opened her eyes again, blinking away the tears. _When I lost consciousness, I dreamt about something horrible. That dream..._

The dream that Sin had, was one where it was not of the era she lived in. It was much older, and it seemed to be a memory with every graphic detail that allowed it to be. She could remember how vivid everything was, and even the pain that they felt. The faces of everyone in the dream, the weapons, the blood.

 _Ah…that's right. There was also a baby's cry._ Sin closed her eyes again, pressing a couple of fingers to her forehead in an attempt to remember. _A man…held the baby, and I leant down and kissed the baby's forehead? No…that wasn't me. That was the person's memory's action. Then, there was an angry voice…and a fight began, started by the other side. It was…_ Sin squeezed her eyes shut, trying harder. When she finally got her answer, she instantly opened her eyes.

 _Apocryphos._

 _Apocryphos…was the one who started attacking? I remember, the person I relived the memory of, using a sword? They seemed to have a power of flight, and was able to fight well against them, but…_

"…they killed them in the end." Sin whispered to herself.

 _I wasn't able to hear much in this dream, or this memory. Was it real? Why did Apocryphos have such a sad, hatred ridden expression? It's completely unlike how he looks now._

Sin slumped her shoulders, pushing her hair back. She sighed to herself, her body feeling heavy.

 _That dream, that memory…was that…one of Mei's memories?_

After the dream, the former exorcist could feel a hatred bubble in her veins; much, much more than she had ever felt before. The sheer amount of hatred she felt was frightening to her, as she only knew it was a fraction of it.

"You seem completely fine after that ordeal before."

Sin turned to the voice. It could only have been one person, and that person was the one who was sleeping before her.

"Tyki." She spoke softly. "Were you here the whole time?"

"Yeah. Did get some breaks here and there though." The male, who was sitting half on the ground and leaning on the side of the bed as a pillow, stood up, stretching.

"…I guess I'm fine right now…" Sin realised that if Tyki was here, that would mean that he brought her in from the balcony, where she passed out. "Ah…thanks for bringing me inside."

"…no problem." The male took a seat on the bed. "Don't just fall asleep outside on a balcony if you're tired next time." He joked.

Sin laughed lightly, shaking her head, "Why are you always here when I'm in trouble? It's like you always know."

"What a quick topic change." The Noah commented. He answered, "Well, I figured you'd be bored so I'd come in here to annoy you, but found you out cold."

"What good timing." She placed a hand to her face, wiping off the remnants of the tears. "Thank you for worrying about me. You're always looking out for me, Tyki." She held a tender smile on her face, thankful for all his help.

Tyki smiled.

"But is this alright? You're helping an exorcist." Sin spoke quietly this time, the thought still on her mind. A slightly worried look replaced her smile.

"If the Earl says it's fine, it's fine." Tyki shrugged, bringing his legs up. He crossed them as he sat on an angle. He glanced outside, seeing that it had brightened slightly.

Sin stared at him, just watching him as he looked outside. He looked quite peaceful, different from when he was with the others.

"Tyki, you seem quite happy lately." She pointed out, remembering his actions. "Why is that?"

Tyki turned to her, brows risen. _She seriously has no clue?_ He thought with a light laugh. He didn't answer her just yet, thinking about how she really didn't seem to have a clue.

 _I don't know if she's just dense or if she doesn't realise it yet,_ Tyki grabbed her hand, elevating it a little.

"It's not every day I save an exorcist." His lips curled into a half smirk half grin, "I would have killed you by now if the Earl didn't say anything."

Sin stared at their hands, "A Noah that exists to kill exorcists." She paused a second, "Would you have killed me, despite knowing we were good friends?" Her gaze flickered from their hands to his golden eyes.

Tyki was a little taken aback at her question. He lowered their hands, releasing them from each other. He used it to scratch his cheek and rub the back of his neck as he looked away, fidgeting. He didn't exactly know how to answer that.

Sin tilted her head slightly in confusion at this action. It wasn't often he did that, and when he did, he normally didn't know how to answer, is what she had noticed when travelling with him.

"What about this, then. If the Earl had instructed you to kill me, would you?" Her saying those words didn't seem to sound heavy at all, but to Tyki, they were.

He stared at her with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. He sighed, "Where are you getting all this from?" He didn't really want to answer such questions, and it seemed a bit too direct. It almost sounded like she was beating around the bush.

Sin played with her fingers, "I'm…not sure." She paused for a long moment, "I think…I just wanted confirmation. _'_ Would my friend kill me if they had to?' was what I was thinking." She laughed lightly, but there was no emotion behind it, "The Order's ordered the exorcists to kill me on sight, and the Noah, knowing that I'm an exorcist, have taken me in, even when they're supposed to kill accommodators. And because of the Earl, I'm alive now."

She looked down to her hands, "I'm tired." She shook her head, "I'm very…very tired. Of all of this." Even though she had a smile on her face, it wasn't happy at all. "Why can't things just be easy? With no Innocence, no Noah, nothing supernatural. Just…" She trailed off, closing her eyes, chuckling, "It's not simple at all, is it?" More so than she was questioning Tyki, she was questioning herself.

"Come on, don't say that." Tyki rubbed the back of his head, "You wouldn't have met me, otherwise." He looked away almost bashfully. The current topic was quite heavy even for him, so he tried to make it lighter. He didn't know if it worked, though.

Sin looked up, realising that it was true. If there wasn't anything supernatural in the world at all, she wouldn't have met a lot of the people she treasured now. Finding that how she questioned herself ridiculous, she laughed, tears wanting to fall.

"That's true! But…I don't regret meeting any of you. You guys are all precious to me." Again, she tried to hold back tears, but with the current conversational topic, she just couldn't. It fell down her cheeks silently, "That's why…I'm afraid. I'm afraid that if I stay like this, if I'm _alive_ , you will all suffer." She sniffed, looking at the male, "Especially my brother, and, you, Tyki."

She held so much distress in her voice, it sounded like it would break any moment.

Tyki looked to her, pointing to himself, "Me?" He was confused how her being alive would impact him in a negative way.

"Do you remember what Leon said? He said that the intruder sent me a warning. Do you know who that intruder was? It was Apocryphos! He was the one who murdered my parents, and the one who will hurt my brother, and possibly you, too, if he doesn't get what he wants! And he wants me dead!" Sin wiped her cheek, muttering, "He's just a coward who won't confront me head on, and using horrible means to back me into a corner." She was more angry than sad at this point.

"That…was Apocryphos?" Tyki's eyes widened, and once again, the feeling of incredible hate pulsed through his body. He furrowed his brows, willing himself to ignore it.

"And…it's not just that." Sin wiped her other cheek, lifting her hands up to stare at them, "This Innocence of mine, I'm afraid that when it takes over my consciousness…I'll, I'll do something horrible, something that might cause you all to disappear. I don't want that, I don't want that at all!" She pressed her hands together and squeezed, her fingers nearly turning white, seen even in the wee hours of the morning.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Tyki placed a hand on top of hers, calming himself down as well as her. The feeling of intense hatred subsided.

"I'm…not sure. I don't really have a direction at this point, Tyki." Sin confessed, taking in a deep breath. "Though, I do want to find out a lot of things."

"Then go and find out those things." Tyki stated. He took his hand off hers and waved it in dismissal, "I'm happy you're worried about me, but you should worry about yourself more."

Sin's lips parted, before she smiled and looked down slightly. "You're right." All her friend's faces flashed into her mind, along with times she'd had with Tyki, especially after she had met him in his Noah form. "Except, it's hard not to worry about you." She added after a light intermission, "You're someone that I care about, very, very much."

Tyki opened his mouth, then closed it, rubbing his nose. Hearing her say that made him quite happy, but a little embarrassed too.

"Tyki," Sin spoke his name softly; many, many thoughts going through her mind.

The male looked at her, leaning slightly forward. "Hm?"

Her expression changed to one that looked like she was worried, pained and somewhat happy at the same time. It was hard to pinpoint exactly how she felt from just her facial expressions alone.

"Why…are you so nice to me?" Her voice had lowered quite a bit. She looked away.

"Why I'm nice to you?" Tyki blinked a couple of times, wondering if he heard right. She sounded serious. "…you don't need to ask something like that, do you?"

"Huh?" The female looked to Tyki, seeing a smile on his face.

"Well, why do you think I'm nice to you, then?" Tyki asked. He wanted to know what she thought.

"We're friends, so…" Sin trailed off, placing a loose fist to her lips. "But…"

"But?"

She was hesitant to continue, stopping. She averted her eyes from Tyki, thinking how she should word it. It was difficult to word what she felt at the moment.

"Eh? That's it?" Tyki sounded disappointed, but he shrugged it off. "Well then," He leaned forward so that he was right next to her face. "Shall I tell you?" He was only teasing.

"Ah…!" Sin pushed her hands to his face, nearly shoving him off the bed, not expecting what he did.

He yelped and grabbed onto the bed curtain, narrowly missing the fall. "H-hey! What was that for?!" He carefully pulled himself back up, his nose red.

When he did pull himself up, Sin helped him, looking the other way, her cheeks a light red.

"Don't do things like that…" She mumbled, holding onto his arm. When he whispered near her ear, it reminded her of what he did back at her estate's infirmary, and the moments where he seemed more vulnerable and happy than he would be.

 _Why couldn't I compose myself? Why?_ Sin recalled other times that had happened with her and people who she danced with at parties. But why, she didn't get, was why she reacted that way to Tyki. _Is there something wrong with me?_

Tyki ignored the pain on his face, seeing how she reacted. He sat back down on the bed, an almost dumbfounded look on his face. He didn't expect that reaction at all.

 _Am I getting somewhere with this?_ He wondered to himself.

"Tyki…" Sin's hands were still on his arm even when he was steady. She stared him in the eyes, seeing the golden colour start to become lighter with the sun's rise.

"Can I trust you?"

Surprised by her question, the male just blinked at her, wondering what was up. She was serious, and her gaze was unwavering, even with her red cheeks.

"Don't you trust me?" Tyki sweat dropped. He thought she trusted him, and now she was asking him a question like this? It confused him.

Sin shook her head, "Not fully, no." She confessed. Tyki felt like a heavy weight hit his head. She continued, "I need to know if I can trust you fully."

The way she worded it and the underlying pleading tone in her voice made Tyki think, 'why would she ask something like this?' Then, he remembered. The situation with Li Jun, and how she trusted him, only to be betrayed.

His eyes softened and he sighed, closing them, then, after a moment, he opened them again. "Do you think you can?" He had a feeling that she wanted to trust him, but she couldn't fully yet, or was hesitating.

"I…I don't know." Sin looked down, her hands going to his hands. She squeezed his hands tightly with her two hands, pulling it near her chest. "I want to trust you, Tyki, I really do. But I don't know if you'll hurt me just like Li Jun did; there's no guarantee."

Tyki sighed through his nose after a moment, placing his free hand on her head, ruffling her hair. "It's up to you if you want to trust me or not."

"I really, really want to. But I'm…scared." Sin held his hand like she did when she was sleeping, closer to her so that it was hard to pull away.

"You know, it doesn't seem like you don't trust me at all." Tyki laughed lightly, pulling the hand on her head away. He found it cute how she held his hand just like she did when she slept, but he wasn't sure what was going through her mind.

"…that's because…" Sin looked away, "I…want to try trusting you. I have a feeling you won't do something like what Li Jun did." A small smile made its way to her lips when she remembered how good Tyki was to her. She looked back to him with a bright smile, making her decision, "Then, I'll put my trust in you, Tyki!"

"That's good to hear." The male laughed, grinning.

 _Well, that was a quick decision,_ Tyki thought. He wondered if that would change anything. _I guess I can't fail her now._ He sighed inwardly.

After a moment of silence, Sin started playing with the lines on his palm and his fingers instead, a thoughtful look on her face.

Tyki noted that she seemed to be thinking about something. Even back when they were travelling, she'd sometimes go silent, then say something that may or may not surprise them. It was interesting. He decided to stay quiet, closing his eyes and using his other arm to lean back.

"Tyki,"

"Hm?" He opened one eye.

"Why does it make me so happy when I see you?"

Tyki nearly choked on nothing, staring at her with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. Nothing came out of his mouth as he gaped.

 _So forward!_

"I mean…even now, I'm very happy that you're here. When you're not here...it's not that I'm not happy, but it's just happier." Sin added after a moment, "You make me smile very, very much. I want to be around you more and more." She looked to him, smiling sincerely.

Tyki inhaled sharply. He looked away, hiding his face with his free hand. He couldn't stop the smile from coming onto his face.

 _Damn…_ Tyki thought to himself. He could feel his heart beat a little faster.

"Tyki?" She questioned. She could see him smiling, "I can see you smiling."

The Noah looked to her through the gaps of his fingers, taking his hand away from his face. He came closer to her, putting one hand on her head, and the other onto the bed. He leaned forward, pecking her on the forehead, then rubbing her head as he leaned back. He grinned.

Sin lightly touched the area he had kissed, eyes widening. Her eyes started to tear up when she remembered the other time he had done that, the time when she had told Momo, Clark, Eeez and Tyki that she'd be going for another job.

 _Even the grin is the same…_ Sin noticed with a small smile. She felt a flood of warmth go through her body.

The male pulled his hand away. She was the only person he'd done that to, so it was something special.

 _I can't get this smile off my face,_ Tyki wanted to sigh to himself, but the mere thought of her gaining affection towards him made him quite happy. That meant that she was starting to feel something towards him.

His grin downgraded to a smile, _I guess this is a starting point._

* * *

"So, Earl, why did you really save Sin? Or, should I say, Seraphim and Mei?" Road walked up beside the Earl, who was in one of the rooms of the doors in the Ark. He was by himself, reading a book.

The Earl, in his human form, looked up from his book as Road entered, the door closing behind her. She didn't want anybody else accidently finding out about their little conversation.

"Road…" The Earl murmured, closing the book. Road sat down in front of him, lying on her side on the sofa. It was a room that had a fireplace, adjacent to where she sat, but a little further away.

"Even the princess is suspicious of you, Earl." Road smiled knowingly, placing her hands in front of the fire to warm herself up. She interchangeably used Sin's different titles.

"I know. She won't know why until Mei tells her, which doesn't seem likely right now." The Earl chuckled, putting the book onto the coffee table.

"So? What's this grand scheme of yours?" Road questioned.

"I got her before that Rouvelier did." He half chuckled half laughed.

Road hummed a long vowel, tilting her head slightly, "What's Rouvelier got to do with this?"

"Road, do you remember what I said when Mei was fighting to defend her child?" The Earl tapped his finger a couple of times on the armrest. Road didn't respond, only staring at the Head. "She used a power that she couldn't control."

"I remember that." Road noted. "And she got killed because of it, right?"

"That's right. The power that she used was very powerful. That's why, I want that power. The 'fire of purification', is the name." The Earl rested his elbows on the armrests as his fingers touched. "In case of Rouvelier, he also wanted this power."

"Ah...so that's why he did human experimentations on the accommodator before the last." The Noah of Dreams connected the dots. "He was trying to find a way to extract it." She added after a moment, "I'm guessing he failed though."

"That's exactly it. But Seraphim has once again come into our hands, and thus we must find a way to get that power, to defeat the abominable Innocence." The Earl's dark eyes narrowed at the mention of it.

"Eh, that's weird. Isn't the power that you want also Innocence?" Road questioned.

"Yes it is, Road. But that doesn't mean we can't use it." The Earl smiled.

"And here I thought you were sparing them because they had relations to the earliest Noah." Road giggled, "But you have other plans. How do you plan on getting that power?"

The first apostle, Adam, fell silent for a long intermission. He hummed, staring at the fireplace. Finally, he broke his silence, "I'm not sure. It's only been recently since Seraphim's come back into our hands."

"You mean to say that it's the first time in 7000 years that they came back over 35 years ago?" Road asked with slightly furrowed brows.

He nodded.

 _Why did it take so long for them to come back to us?_ Road thought. _Wouldn't Seraphim have been caught by Apocryphos each and every time before that? How would they have hidden?_

"I did try to find them long ago, but they died before I was able to. It was hard to find the user for Seraphim." The Earl sighed, rubbing his neck.

"By Apocryphos, right?" Road asked. It would explain why they were after Sin.

"Yeah. By Apocryphos." The Earl leaned on one palm, crossing his legs. He stared at the different warm colours dancing on the tip of his shoe. "It reminds me of when it all started."

 _When it all started? This is about the exorcists that killed Mei, right?_ The Noah of Dreams closed her eyes and rolled to her back.

"Maybe taking her Innocence will give you that power?" Road had a quick thought, but didn't know if it would work.

"Innocence doesn't really work with us, Road…" The Earl reminded. "But I think that's the only choice."

"How would that work?" Road rolled back to her side. "Ah! Is Seraphim the Heart? If we destroy it, can we destroy the Innocence?"

He shook his head, "Seraphim isn't the Heart, and never will be."

"Huh? But then, what is it? It's kind of like a monster Innocence, really." She laughed.

He sighed, "Seraphim was supposed to protect the Heart."

"Eh?" Road stopped laughing and blinked, "Doesn't that mean Seraphim did something to the Heart if Apocryphos is after it?"

"I don't know, Road." The Earl exhaled slowly.

"Even if you get your hands on the Innocence, apart from destroying it, can we preserve it and use it for ourselves?" Road frowned, changing the topic.

"Hm…" The Earl hummed for a long moment. It was common knowledge that Innocence can hurt the clan of Noah, but they didn't know if they could control it. It was already strange enough that Seraphim couldn't become a Fallen One.

 _Maybe God created Seraphim for the sole use of ending whichever opposing side it's taken,_ the Earl chuckled to himself. _That would mean the end once and for all, wouldn't it?_

"What's so funny, Earl?"

"It's nothing, Road."

"…would this be okay, though?" Road rolled onto her stomach and kicked her feet slowly, supporting her chin with her hands. She stared at the fireplace, "If we do something to Sin, wouldn't Tyki get angry?"

"Ah…" The Earl recalled something that his apostle had said a long time ago, causing him to frown slightly. "That's a problem, isn't it?"

"…we might learn something when Wisely gets reincarnated." Road mentioned, knowing that this certain apostle was able to retain their memories.

 _If it goes as far back as 7000 years, that is._ Road thought to herself.

The Earl, a little surprised by her comment, laughed lightly, agreeing.

"Earl, are you planning on killing Sin and replacing her with Mei?" Road asked out of the blue. She didn't particularly hate her, but she found her interesting. It would be a shame that Mei would take her spot.

In response to her question, the Millennium Earl just smiled, "We'll see what happens."

* * *

"Tyki, I've just noticed, but…" Sin stared at him with a confused expression for a very long moment. The male looked at her, waiting for her to continue. She reached to his cheek, where she pushed away his hair to take a look at his ears. "…this earring is similar to mine." It looked exactly like the blue diamond earrings she had, before she lost one of them.

"Oh, this? It's yours. Came undone when we met in China." Tyki recalled. He began to take it off, but she stopped him.

"It's fine, it's fine. I was wondering where it went, but you were holding onto it. That's a relief." She stopped his hands from going to his ears.

"You don't want it back? Isn't it from your grandparents?" The Noah questioned.

She laughed lightly, "It is. But, I'm putting my trust in you to keep it safe for me."

Tyki nodded slowly, not really understanding that logic. He went with it anyway, but remembered that she would be missing an earring. He dug into his pocket and found the old earring he wore before he wore hers.

"Here." He got her hand, placing the earring on her palm.

"Isn't this yours though?"

"You're missing an earring, right? You can wear that for the time being."

Sin stared at the earring. It was indeed Tyki's.

 _Ah...so equivalent exchange._ She giggled, putting it in her ear.

"Now we're even." She grinned.

"…not really." The male remembered the monetary value her earrings were worth. His weren't worth that much, not even a fraction.

"An earring for an earring, Tyki."

"Urgh you guys make me sick!" David kicked opened the door, making a face when he saw Tyki and Sin.

Jasdero came up from behind him. "HEE! A Noah and an exorcist?! Unheard of! Hee!"

With Jasdero's words, Sin was reminded of the conversation at the dining table back in the old Ark, before Allen had brought it back. Someone had said something similar, but she didn't remember who. The only thing she remembered was that it made her sad.

"What do you guys want?" Tyki sighed. He was having a good time, but then the twins had to come.

"I'm bored! Hee!" Jasdero shouted.

"Yeah! Do something interesting!" David put a hand on his hip. They had come in there with the intention of relieving their boredom, but found that Tyki was there with her.

"How about a card game?" Sin suggested with a smile.

Tyki glanced at her, seeing that it was almost sly.

 _Is she planning on stripping them of everything by winning out of pure luck again?_ He sweat dropped. He remembered all the other times they played poker or any card game for that matter, and she'd always somehow win from pure luck. It was ridiculous because she didn't cheat, even if they taught her how to (in poker).

"Cards? Pfft! How boring! It's not like you can beat us at cards! Hah!" David chortled with laughter, with Jasdero joining in.

"Oh? You scared?" Tyki taunted with a smirk. He was laughing inside because he knew they'd lose.

"WHAT?! SCARED?!" The twins shouted, pointing their guns at him. They had anger marks on their heads as they cracked their knuckles, "WE'LL TAKE YOU ON!"

"YEAH, YEAH! NO ONE CALLS US SCAREDY CATS, HEE!" Jasdero went to find a deck of cards.

 _They took the bait so easily,_ Tyki snickered, turning to Sin.

The female grinned at him, knowing that he caught on. She was in need of something that would take her current mind off things, as she knew that later down the line, it may not be possible.

With a heavy mind, she slid out of the bed, trying to push her miscellaneous thoughts aside. Except, they never really went away.

In the midst of Tyki and David discussing minor things and having a pretty one-sided chat, Sin just kept thinking. The more she wanted to push the thoughts out of her mind, the more she could hear Mei's laughter in the background.

 _ **You know you can't do much anymore, don't you?**_

* * *

"Sin, why don't you come with us to this tea party?" The Earl, in his Noah form, placed his hands together, his teeth shining as if he was jolly.

"What a _great_ idea, Earl!" Sheril gushed.

Said female turned to him with an expression of surprise, which melted to confusion. "But isn't the invitation directed to the Noah family? I am not part of the Noah family, Earl." She looked to the Earl, ignoring Sheril.

"Just come, Sin. You can help me by dividing the attention so I can get out of there." Tyki grinned.

Sin laughed nervously. Did she really want to attend such a tea party in which she once disliked? It made her remember how tiring it was for her back when she still attended them.

"This isn't a suggestion, Sin. You're going." The Earl laughed heartily.

"You heard the Earl, Sin!" Sheril crossed his arms, smiling. It was kind of creepy how he wanted her to come.

"And that's that." Tyki smirked, "Well, at least you won't be bored."

"But it's tiring, isn't it?" Sin sighed to herself. She didn't mind meeting people, but it seemed like such a stiff setting that she had to form these relations. She used to put up airs to seem approachable since she had been bound to her duties as a princess, but that was then. Did she have to do that now? Just the thought tired her more than usual.

"You're saying the same things as Tyki-pon, dear." The Earl giggled, "You're not going to be there as a princess. You'll be there as yourself, from a prestigious family member from China staying with us."

"…you're not leaving me a choice in this matter, are you, Earl?" Sin thought about how things would be if the situation was a little different, but knew that nothing would change.

"How lovely! We'll be having such an important guest with us! I'll have to inform Tricia!" Sheril went off, strangely happy.

Sin stared after him with a blank expression, but Tyki knew what she wanted to ask.

"He's like that."

"…seems like it."

"The tea party is in a week's time, so before then I'd like you to get something to wear." The Earl turned to Sin, expectant.

"…ah."

 _And that's why we're here,_ Sin looked around, having dressed in a borrowed suit from Lulubell. It was a little loose on her, but it would make do as a disguise, as she didn't want the Order to find her, nor did she want to be recognisable.

"I don't get why you're coming along, too, Tyki." Sin looked at the male to her side, who was also wearing a suit. She turned to her other side, seeing the shorter girl, "And you, Road."

"We need to show you around, Sin." Road smiled at her, taking a hold of her hand. "You don't know where the good stores are!"

"...that's true." It had been a while since Sin had gone shopping for something luxurious. Most of the time back at the estate, she would either be brought dresses from merchants, and on a rarer occasion, she would go out and buy one herself, or with her parents. It was a fun experience.

 _Father, mother…_ just by remembering them made her sad. She adjusted the glasses she had, looking around. It was just a normal street in London, with lots of people walking around, some with their children and some without.

"It's lively." Sin commented, eyes softening with sadness, seeing a mother give her child a candied apple.

Tyki followed her gaze, seeing her look at the two, then three, as the father came out of the sweets shop, before leaving with them.

"It is." Road agreed. She glanced to the right side and pulled Sin along when she saw the shop she wanted to go to. "This one!"

"Ah! Road—" Sin was pulled into the shop and into trying different styles left and right.

Tyki, on the other hand, yawned as he sat on a chair, giving a 'yes' or 'no' opinion whenever she was pushed out with a new dress.

Finally, one dress they all gave the okay to. It was a strapless, just above knee length white dress that had a somewhat poofy bottom, with a long, thick half transparent lavender bow tied around her midsection. She even wore matching white gloves and silver heels.

"This is very short, Road!" Sin stared at the bottom part of the skirt, unsure of how much leg it was showing. Even in China, showing too much skin, especially the legs, was deemed inappropriate at social gatherings such as tea parties if you're older than 15.

"Aw, but it looks very good on you!" Road puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms in annoyance. "It's a very unique, modern one, too!"

"Even so, I don't think it's a good idea to get everyone to have their eyes on me, Road!" Sin sighed. "I don't want to draw too much attention." She stared at the mirror, seeing how she looked.

"But it looks good." Tyki stated. He didn't care too much about her showing too much leg, but he did agree that it would leave somewhat of a bad impression if it was too short. It was fine when she was a lot younger, but now, it would be 'scandalous', especially at a party.

 _There'll be a lot of men there, too…_ Tyki's eyes narrowed slightly, but then he let out a 'heh', because he knew that they wouldn't even be able to lay a finger on her apart from dancing.

Sin wasn't too sure, holding the dress as she did another look see.

"Why not just make it longer? Though I like the short one." The male grinned at her when she looked at him with an embarrassed face.

She mumbled something incoherent, then placed her gloved hands on her cheeks, patting them gently.

"I'll go tell the shop keeper to tailor this for you!" Road sung this sentence as she skipped to find the shop keeper.

"I never imagined I'd be here seeing you wear a dress." Tyki commented with a chuckle.

"It's been a while since I've worn one, you know." Sin stepped away from the mirror and went a few feet away from the male, "I'm worried that I'll attract too much unwanted attention."

Tyki eyed her up and down, shrugging, "Who wouldn't notice?"

In response to him, Sin pulled his cheeks, "It's not like I want them to look at me that way!" She complained. "I would rather wear what Lulubell wears if that's the case!"

"She wears dresses to parties, too, you know." Tyki pointed out with a smirk. He leaned forward and reached to put an arm around her waist, but before he could do anything, the shop keeper and Road came back. He sighed and took back his arm.

"Oh my…" The shop keeper started, unsure of what to say at the scene. It was the first time she'd seen anything like it, even within peasants. And to top it off, a very handsome gentlemen, as it was. The first thing that came to her mind was that they were engaged or married, but it also didn't seem like the case, either, so she was confused.

Sin dropped her hands and headed over to the shop keeper, who was taking one last look at Tyki before doing her job. The shop keeper measured the length she had to tailor it for her, admiring how different Sin was. It was very rare that she got an orient at her store, especially one like Sin.

"Tyki, I saw that," Road giggled as she headed over to where her uncle was. He looked away avoiding her eyes.

"You saw nothing."

"Hm? Okay, sure, sure." Road did a twirl and went back to Sin, watching them.

"This tailor will be done in 2 days, so if you come by then, we can do the fitting." The shop keeper smiled, having jotted down the necessary information.

"Alright! Thank you, miss!" Road grinned and proceeded to shove Sin into the dressing room, closing the door for her.

"Even without showing her legs she'll attract a lot of attention." Road laughed, sitting down beside Tyki. The male glanced at her, quite agreeing. "If she had the same style as back then, then it'd pretty much be the same, right, Tyki?" Road sent him a knowing look.

"…I guess?" It sounded a question. It was true that when they had met 7 years ago, she had attracted much of the attention, even for a young lady. It was the fact that she was different from everybody else that stood out.

It then dawned on Tyki, that if it was like that back then, then it would be even worse this time. Seeing his eyes widen, Road giggled, knowing that she had ignited the fuse.

"She'd get lots of proposals and invitations to parties!" Road snickered when she saw Tyki's expression turn somewhat sour.

"Even if she did, I don't think she'd accept them so easily." Tyki pointed out, "They'd be mainly for the Earl, and wishes for her to make it."

"That's true." Road giggled.

"Besides, it's not like she reacts so easily to men, anyway." Tyki shrugged, remembering many of the times that she has one, been stared at for long periods of time, two, been asked weird questions, three, seen the troupe half naked, four, remained completely calm and collected even when asked touchy subjects like marriage and suitors and so on.

 _What is she, a robot?_ Tyki thought with a light laugh. Certainly, she was unique, but no robot. His mind went back to when she reacted to him, which he found was definitely something that needed to be noted. _Well, maybe not to me, then._

Road paused for a moment when she heard Tyki's words. She blinked, piecing together a few things in her mind. At that time, Sin had come out of the dressing room, and they all stood up to leave.

With a small smirk on her lips, Road turned to Tyki, "I see, Tyki."

Hearing the sneaky giggle behind her words, the male looked at her with a weird expression before they left the shop.

"Now, we're going to get a necklace for you!" Road turned to Sin, "And those heels come with the dress, so that's done!"

"Ah…is that so. Thank you. I'll pay—" Sin started up.

"No, it's okay. We've been doing business with your family for a long time, so we'll pay." Road grabbed Sin's hand and rocked it, excitedly proceeding down the street.

"A-ah…thank you."

 _Road really likes her,_ Tyki noted.

"…need to get…a nail clipper, chocolate bars…"

Sin glanced over to the person that walked the opposite way of them, just brushing past. They were mumbling some things that they needed to buy, their head down on the notepad.

The former exorcist's blue eyes widened when she knew immediately who it was, wondering why he was there on the streets.

 _Is it his day off? Why is_ Johnny _here?_ Her brows slightly narrowed. _I thought he was injured!_

"Ah."

She heard Johnny stop in his tracks, and a shuffle of his back, before footsteps became louder as he neared them.

"Excuse me!" Johnny ran in front of the three of them, panting slightly.

Sin froze in her spot, hoping that Johnny didn't see through her disguise.

"Um, can I talk to you for a moment, alone, please?" Johnny turned to Sin, a concentrated look on his face.

She blinked a couple of times, mouth opening from surprise. She stayed calm, hoping to weasel out of this situation.

"Oh, they're looking for you." Tyki turned to Sin and then took a few steps away, giving them the room they needed.

Road let go of Sin's hand reluctantly, going to where her uncle was. She eyed Johnny suspiciously.

"Yes?" Sin questioned, trying to make it look like she had no idea what Johnny was going to say, let alone who he was.

"You're…you're Sin, right?" His voice dropped to a whisper, glancing around to see if anybody was eavesdropping.

Sin opened and closed her mouth, before exhaling with weariness. "Johnny—"

"So it _is_ you!" Johnny looked like he was about to cry. Sin looked around, trying to see if there was anybody watching apart from Tyki and Road.

"Why are you here, Johnny? Please don't tell anyone that you saw me!" She requested, voice low.

"I won't! I don't want you to die!" The scientist sniffed.

Seeing him like this, Sin's eyes softened. "How are you? How are the others?"

"They're…okay. We miss you, Sin! Even Reever and Komui…" Johnny smiled, but it was sad. He looked to her, "We're going to move to a new HQ soon, so be careful! It'll be in England and on an island near here." He added, "I'm worried for your saf—"

"Johnny, I will be fine." Sin smiled at him, laughing lightly. "You go back to the Order, but stay safe. It's dangerous. Now, run along. Forget you ever saw me here. You don't know me. I'm wishing you all the best."

Johnny, with one last tearful look at Sin's smiling face, nodded, holding onto the strap of his bag tightly. Sin walked past him and headed to where Tyki and Road were, continuing down along the street with composure.

Johnny looked to see her retreating back, with the other two nobles that were with her.

 _Who…are they?_

"Who was that?" Road asked, looking back over her shoulder. She looked to Sin, seeing that she had a mixed expression.

"That was a friend of mine, Road." Sin smiled somewhat sadly.

"What did you talk about?" Road pressed.

"We just asked each other how we were doing, that's all. Regular greetings."

"Hm…I see."

As they continued down the street, looking into windows and seeing what kind of necklace would fit her dress, Sin couldn't help but think, her mind wandering off to what Johnny said. He had given her information on the Order, and places that she should avoid.

 _I'm fine._ Sin pressed her lips together into a thin line, _no, I'm definitely fine. I'll continue to be fine._

"Sin, try this one." Tyki pointed to one of the necklaces in the window. He had surprisingly decided to look through options for jewellery. He didn't care too much, but if he left it to Road, he felt she would go too extravagant.

"Hm?" Sin snapped out of her thoughts and followed where his finger pointed, seeing a silver necklace with a circle that connected to a narrow silver rectangle that dangled vertically. It was very minimal, but she liked it. "That one is nice."

"That's so boring!" Road pointed to another, "This one!" The one she liked was quite full on and had a lot of little jewels here and there.

"…no thank you, Road." Sin laughed nervously, wondering how anybody could wear something so fancy like that. She pointed to the one Tyki had suggested, "Let's get this one."

"Now that we're done, let's go back." Tyki rubbed the back of his neck, holding onto the bag containing the necklace. They had just finished up at the jewellery shop.

Sin glanced around, seeing if Johnny was still near. But, he had gone.

 _Johnny…_ Sin knew that Johnny was a very nice man, even if he did seem a little wimpy and crazy at times. But, he was a good soul. _I guess this was for the best. If someone finds out that he's had contact with me back at the Order, he could get punished, just for talking to somebody he considered a friend._

"We're going back now; anything else we need to get?" Road thought for a moment, opening one of her doors in an isolated location.

Tyki and Sin stepped in, with the latter shaking her head. Road shrugged gently and headed in after them.

* * *

Cross Marian swirled the red wine in his glass, staring out the window of the new HQ, having arrived there earlier than the others. It was currently night, and the stars were showing through the darkness.

 _What a nice night,_ the womaniser thought.

He then narrowed his eyes when he felt Timcanpy nudge at his hand, as if trying to tell him something.

"What is it? Show me." The red haired male turned to the golden golem.

Tim opened its mouth, projecting a screen that showed events that happened years ago. It showed Cross leaning down to chant something at an unconscious person, and then leave after positioning them so that they were more comfortable.

Cross watched it, remembering what had happened then. It was around 5 years ago, when Cynthia had escaped China and was looking for refuge, just travelling around. At that time in the train station, she had fallen unconscious due to exhaustion and starvation.

Cross already knew who it was, as he had been keeping tabs on her the whole time, knowing that she was going to become the new accommodator for Seraphim. His hunch and gut feeling was right. When he had confirmed that fact, he had followed her there from China, and when she had finally passed out, he put a seal on her to stop the process of corruption.

 _So it's finally started to break,_ Cross took a sip from his glass.

Tim closed its mouth and flew on top of Cross's head, sitting.

The General stared at his wine glass, _as long as she has that Seraph, it should be fine, for now._

He stopped his thinking abruptly, knowing that that wasn't just the case at all. He heard a crack and directed his gaze towards the glass, seeing the long crack from the top to the bottom of it.

… _an ill omen._

Cross's eyes went to the single lit candle a few feet away from him, seeing it flicker, a laughter ringing in his ears, however distant.

 _Shut up, damn laughter. You're ruining my night._


	22. Chapter 21

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #21

* * *

Johnny pressed his hands together, squeezing his eyes shut. He was trying to calm himself down from his encounter with Sin. It was hard enough that he couldn't say everything that he wanted to, and was saddened that he wasn't able to convey the messages and feelings of everyone that missed her.

"Where did you go, Johnny?!" Lavi headed to him, glancing around almost sporadically to see if the nurse was anywhere near them. "The nurse will kill you if she found out you sneaked out!"

"I was just getting some things for Reever." Johnny replied with a blank face, which then turned into a teary eyed one.

Lavi held back a choking kind of sound from surprise, looking around yet again, "Y-You're crying?! What's wrong?!"

Johnny didn't give a reply to the red haired exorcist, even when he was bawling his eyes out. He couldn't say anything, because he knew that if he did, he would be breaking whatever trust he had with Sin, and he didn't want that.

Lavi just stared at Johnny, taken aback.

 _Why is he suddenly crying? Did something happen when he went out just then? Did somebody bully him? Or…_

Lavi took Johnny's silence as something that was able to give things away quite a bit. He had a hunch he knew what it was, but at the same time, he didn't really have any conclusive evidence.

 _If it's what I think it is, then…_

* * *

Whispers sounded around the large dance hall, eyes that were once dancing on their peers, colleagues and friends, now on the newcomers that arrived.

The Millennium and Sheril were the first ones who walked in, greeting everyone with a nod of the head and a smile, letting the butlers take their hats, coats and canes. But, it was not them that their eyes were glued to. It was the two behind him, Tyki and Sin. They were pleasantly surprised at the new appearance, but also quite intrigued, as she looked different to everyone else who attended, especially the dress she chose.

 _Everyone's staring…_ Sin could feel many eyes boring into her, staring at her as if she were an object in an art museum. She had felt stares like this many times in her life, but after a while of not attending events like this, it was almost a foreign feeling to her. However, she still put up the dignified airs that she was taught from a young age.

"Wow. They must really like you to stare so much." Tyki whispered to her, teasing. His eyes scanned the room, seeing that people were indeed staring at her.

Sin glanced over at him, almost wanting to sweat drop and tell him that the gazes are on him, but even if she did say that, they weren't. She thanked the butler who took her coat from her, giving him a warm smile.

The butler smiled in return, surprised that someone of her status (most people who attended the tea party were all in a high social class) would pay attention to a humble butler like him. A light blush adorned his features when he held onto her jacket, taking Road's as well.

Road smiled, but it was almost sly, like she was watching from afar. She covered it with a grin, grabbing Sin's arm and dragging her with her, giggling, "Let's go get some food! I'm hungry!"

"Ah—Road," Sin was caught by surprise, just slightly gasped as she was pulled by the presumed younger lady.

Tyki smiled small as he watched them go, seeing that the crowd began to shift their eyes, spreading between him and Cynthia.

The Earl and Sheril had gone to talk to their acquaintances and make good talk, whilst Tyki was approached by some males that he barely knew, but had seen around. They exchanged small talk, but once they finished, they immediately asked who Sin was, stealing peeks at her from the side of their eyes.

It slightly irritated him that their main goal was to know who she was.

He grabbed a flute of champagne from the table and swirled the contents, eyeing the males, then Sin, who was accompanying Road to get light refreshments. The observant person he was, he kept an eye on her the whole time, finding that people had actually started to approach her, whilst girls watched her with strange expressions, and himself with hearts for eyes.

"So, who is that exotic young Lady that you arrived with, Lord Mikk?" One of the men asked, in awe. His lips parted as he watched her, having not seen someone like that before.

Tyki nearly glared at him, but regained his calm so that he wouldn't get scolded by his annoying brother.

 _Should I say that she came as my date?_ Tyki thought, seeing Road stuff her face, Sin trying to help her from choking. He sweat dropped, _nah, they'll just start asking stupid questions._

With no choice but to express an honest answer, the Portuguese male tilted his flute at Sin, "Her name is Cynthia, a noble that is currently staying with us." He didn't want to tell them that Sin was actually just a nickname that they called her. He wanted others to stay as formal as possible.

"Ah…so Lady Cynthia. What a beautiful sight." Another male smiled and took two champagne flutes before quickly heading off to where Sin was, "I will be back."

The corner of Tyki's lips curled downwards, but he forced them to stay up, seeing the other two males he was with quickly trying to catch up to the other, bickering amongst themselves to see who was going to approach her first.

Watching them was slightly amusing, but the tall male wanted to see what Sin's reaction was. He knew she didn't easily trust people and that she was currently putting up a kind of façade.

 _Not that her façade is really a façade,_ he thought, _the only thing different is that she's forced to be very formal with people…and watch her tongue._

He recalled a memory back when they were travelling. At first, she seemed quite reserved, but once they got to know her more, she was a bright ball of sunshine, but also had her smart moments, and had a very excitable and teasing side, which he needed to see more of. It seemed to have disappeared, or rather, stayed on the low, when she was with everyone else but the travel troupe.

 _If she saw them now she'd probably start bawling and saying funny, but true things about them, such as Momo's bald head,_ Tyki found himself feeling less irritated when he thought of those fond memories.

When his attention was back on Sin, he found that one of the men who approached her take her gloved hand and kiss the back, then bring her to the dance floor to dance slowly to a slow tempo song. Road was watching nearby and eating.

"If it isn't Lord Mikk! It has been a while!" Tyki's gaze averted to the Madam that was in front of him. He recognised her as someone he'd seen many times before, and placed a hand to his chest, bowing slightly in greeting. He placed his flute onto a passing butler's tray.

"It has been a long time, Madam." He smiled and took her hand, gently kissing her hand as he kneeled down slightly. He stood back up, seeing the Madam fan her face with a grin.

A woman next to her took a step forward, cheeks dusted with pink as she stared at the handsome Mikk.

"This is my daughter's first ball. Would you do the honour of dancing with her?" The Madam didn't make it sound like a question at all.

Tyki smiled small at the woman and he greeted her just like the Madam, bringing her into the slow dance.

"Tyki's handsomeness at events like these are really effective." Road giggled, licking a lollipop. She had gone up to where her adoptive father was, observing from above. "Madam's crowd is all atwitter." Her eyes scanned away from Tyki to find Sin, seeing that she was pretty easy to spot.

She noticed that she was dancing with a different man this time, which made it the 6th?

Road laughed at how popular Sin was. She didn't even have a break before being passed on to another to dance. "It's not just Tyki, but Sin's beauty too!" She giggled, "They're making everyone very excited."

"The Madam's daughter is pretty, too. I'd like to dance with her." Sheril looked to the lady dancing with his younger brother.

"Eh? I like Sin more though." Road pouted. "And I'm definitely prettier than her! Right, Daddy?"

"Yes to both, honey." Sheril smiled warmly at his daughter.

* * *

"Hah, so they're finally here." Cross muttered to himself, rolling his eyes. He swirled the glass of wine between his fingers, pressing it up to his lips to empty the contents.

 _Took them long enough._

It was the day that the other exorcists would all finally be in the new location of the Order. It took them quite a while to get everything and transport it all the way to the new location.

The General stared at his empty glass, seeing a blur of red that was his hair.

' _ **I can't tell you about that, Cross.'**_

Cross's eye narrowed at the glass, not sure what to think. At that time many years ago, he had seen something that it seems that he shouldn't have. However, the two involved didn't seem to care too much if he found out, but didn't tell him what was going on. They were quite secretive of it, making sure that he wouldn't.

 _Just what were they hiding?_ Cross closed his eyes and held a sigh.

' _ **You'll know in due time.'**_

Exhaling slowly, the red haired General stood up and headed to the small round table, refilling his glass with red liquid.

 _And when is this due time?_

Cross held a hand to his hip when he looked outside, seeing the blue sky and floating clouds.

 _At least I made a precaution._ Cross pressed the glass to his lip but didn't drink, staring at the ground that was beyond his glass.

 _I should go renew it…but that would deem hard, considering that damn thing is after them again._

With a sigh, Cross headed back to the seating area that allowed him to look outside the window, dwelling on his thoughts.

* * *

Sin was normally a reserved person at high end social events such as this. She was starting to get used to the stares more, and danced with those who approached her for a dance. She didn't have any reason to turn them down.

However, when she danced and twirled, her eyes would always catch a glimpse of a certain man, before going back to the one who had asked to dance.

 _What is this feeling…_ Sin thought to herself, slightly irritated. She didn't show any discomfort on her face, but when she took a quick look around, her eyes took notice of the females in the room, seeing them blush and titter, laugh and giggle at the handsome male she had come with.

 _...he's handsome, so of course he'd get stared at._ She smiled at the male who she finished dancing with, before getting approached by another, who greeted her with a smile and a kiss to the back of the hand. He had a light blush on his cheeks as the female took his hand to dance.

… _is she going to dance with everyone in this hall?_ Tyki questioned, seeing that another had approached her and asked to dance.

He was currently taking a little break at the refreshments table, having a light snack. He had danced with a number of ladies already, and he was starting to get tired. He just wanted to go home and rest.

 _Well, figures. She seems to be very popular among them._ Tyki strained a smile on his lips as he watched them, a dark shadow cast on his face. He slipped a cracker into his mouth.

 _That pisses me off._

Sin curtsied, thanking the male for the dance. She looked around, feeling dehydrated from all the dancing she was doing. She wanted to go to the refreshments table, but she knew that there was practically a line that formed of people who wanted to dance with her.

 _Why me?_ She wanted to just run away and never come back.

She saw someone approach her, but they didn't say anything, their expression changing to surprise at something.

"Now, let's get you something to drink, shall we?"

Tyki placed a hand on her waist and led her with him, eyeing the males, almost telling them that she was his property. They flinched when he smiled at them almost sinisterly.

Sin's eyes went wide as she stared up at the male, then at the people who were watching her go with him. Inwardly, she sighed in relief, thankful for Tyki's intervention.

"Thanks, Tyki." She smiled at him.

"You're not going to dance with them all, are you?" The Noah asked her with a tired expression. He was happy to have gotten them away from her and had time to converse with the one he wanted to.

"Well, they just kept lining up one after another…" She sighed gently, picking up a glass of water from the refreshments table. She handed Tyki a glass. He took it, sipping slowly as he watched her. "…what is it? Do I have something on my face?" She asked. He was staring at her for a long time.

He stayed silent, before shaking his head with a smile, "Nope. Was just wondering how you manage to put up with all of them."

"I don't." She honestly replied. "I just dance with them and exchange fairly unimportant conversation. It's the same, really. It's almost like a repeat cycle." She was quite critical of them. Tyki raised a brow. "First, they tell me who they are and say that I am beautiful, and for some reason, they seem to know that my name is Cynthia and call me as such." Tyki glanced away guiltily. The guys from before must have spread it, or the others overheard. "Second, they asked to dance. They tell me that it was the first time they have seen someone like me, and they ask where I am from, and that I am fluent in the English language." She sighed, taking some more water, "Then, after we finish dancing, they tell me to come to their future parties if they ever held one."

"Eh, already getting so many invites. So popular, Sin." Tyki teased. He found it hilarious that Sin was able to tell him everything from all ranges of the spectrum, and was glad. It was amusing how straightforward and honest she was with her answers, something that he didn't see much of. But she was also the type that allowed some leeway into that, and adjusted her normally straightforward and blunt answers to suit whoever she was talking to. In other words, she wasn't just an honest to a fault idiot.

"I'd be lying to say that I wasn't flattered." Sin chuckled at Tyki's comment, raising her glass slightly. He clinked his glass with hers, a smile gracing his features. "You seem to get all the ladies excited and watching you. What are your secrets?" She teased, poking her tongue out at him.

"I could say the same to you." He winked at her, which caused her to laugh at him.

Those watching them from the distance felt springs of envy, seeing them interact so comfortably and happily. It was completely different to what the other males had seen, and they wanted to see her act that way with them, not just the guy that made all the girls go chatty and thrilled. They all knew that they had come to the party together and that they were acquaintances of some sort, but it seemed to them, they looked at each other more so than what they claimed.

Road noticed and picked up almost immediately the tense atmosphere around the hall. She leaned on the ledge, feeling the tension in the air, thick with envy. A smile curled her lips upwards as she chuckled at the scene before her. Most of the people were in their own groups and still socialising, but she noticed, they stole glances at Tyki and Sin, who had an enjoyable and happy atmosphere around them.

"Wow. Just by talking to each other, they're getting glared at by everyone in the room." Road laughed, resting her cheek on her palm.

She saw some males and females try to approach them, but ultimately shy away, seeing that it was really difficult to break their conversation.

"Everyone else must be thinking that either of them are their enemies in terms of affection by the other." Sheril came up to Road, lightly patting her head. "This is what happens when jealousy is born from affection."

Road stared at Sin and Tyki, seeing that they were quite comfortable just talking to each other rather than the others in the room. It was painfully obvious that it was like that.

 _I wouldn't be surprised if everyone ended up trying to kill them._ Road giggled at her thoughts, _BUT, this isn't a game like that. They'll just wallow in their defeat and glare at them, or try and gain their affection by being in their lives as much as they can._

She licked her lips, _but that probably won't happen._

 _They'll undoubtedly fail._

* * *

"Ah, so tiring." Tyki yawned, sitting in the carriage that brought them back to the estate. They had just left Road and Sheril at their house.

Sin sat beside him, her eyes watching the Earl outside.

Tyki glanced at Sin, following her gaze. He saw that the Earl was buying a flower off a flower girl, even if it was raining.

 _Why does he seem so human, when he's the Earl that commands Noah and akuma alike?_ Sin thought. It was almost sad; they're on the side that commands darkness, yet they seem to shine the brightest, almost more so than the Order, which was riddled with secrets and lies.

Sin chuckled lightly to herself, almost pitying the feeling she felt just now.

"Hm?" Tyki turned to her. He saw a difficult expression on her face that he couldn't decipher.

Sin didn't respond verbally to him, only giving him a small smile.

* * *

Komui approached the room that Cross stayed, wanting to get some information out of him. He nodded at the guards to let him through.

"Cross." Komui greeted with another nod of the head. He closed the door behind him and took a few steps forward so they were within talking range.

"Hoh? If it isn't Komui. You running away from your duties again?" The General smirked, turning to face him. He was still on the seating area by the window.

Komui sweat dropped, averting his eyes because it was partially true. "Uh…"

"So, why don't you take a seat while you're at it?" He lazily motioned his hand to a nearby chair, which Komui dragged to sit on. "So what are you here for?"

"Can't I enjoy the company of an exorcist?" The Chief pouted. "You've been elusive, Cross! At least chat to me!"

Cross gave him a funny look before sighing, sipping his wine. "And here I thought you actually grew up."

"You're cruel!"

"So, what are you really here for?" Cross placed his glass down by the side table. He knew Komui would come to him to ask a few things.

Komui was silent for a moment, before chuckling, a small smile gracing his lips. "You already know, huh?"

With a swift nod from the red head, Komui eyed the door, lowering the volume of his voice so that others outside could not hear.

"It's about Seraphim."

"Obviously."

"Is it true that those wielding Seraphim are a being of destruction?"

"Hm? So you read that book Zu Mei has?"

"You know of it?"

"Yeah. Took a sneak peak of its contents."

"…why does that not surprise me? Anyway, I want you to tell me about Seraphim; all that you know."

"And why should I do that?" Cross's eyes narrowed at Komui. "What are you going to do even if I tell you?"

Komui opened his mouth to say something, but stopped, wondering if he, or the Order, could do anything at all.

"…I know you want to help Cynthia, but there's hardly anything the Order can do right now." The General ran a hand through his hair.

"What do you mean?"

"Even if you know what I know, you aren't able to help her at all; is what I'm saying."

"…is there really no way?" Komui asked, a painful expression on his face.

Seeing the Chief like this, Cross knew that he really did care for the exorcists under him. But, he also knew that even if they take action now, they wouldn't be able to do anything except for adding to the casualties.

"Listen here, Komui. Seraphim isn't an Innocence that you can take lightly. Mei's a smart and cunning woman." Cross took back his glass and swirled the liquid. "Honest, but doesn't bat an eyelash in lying either."

Komui's dark eyes narrowed, wondering exactly what Cross meant. Does that mean that they can't stop Mei and save Sin even if they wanted to? Does that mean Mei has been lying?

"I know what you're thinking, Komui. You can't do anything about it." He exhaled through his nose, "The only thing you can do right now is sit back and watch it unfold."

Komui's hands clenched into fists. He hated how he wasn't able to do anything for an exorcist that was under him, even when he had vowed to himself that he would look out for them as their Chief.

 _What good is a Chief that can't look after their own staff?!_

"…thanks for your time, Cross." Komui stood up, breathing steadily to try calming himself. The male headed to the door after placing the chair back into position.

"Komui."

The Chief stopped, turning to the General.

Cross merely raised his glass of wine, his lips curling up to a smirk, "Sin won't die."

Komui's eyes widened slightly, before he excused himself.

* * *

"Now, now, my dear apostles, you've finally reincarnated!" The Earl danced around, his teeth shining brightly in the moonlight.

The other apostles had started to wake up, all of them except the Noah of Wrath and Wisely. As they ventured onto the Ark, Road pulled Tyki's arm, stopping him.

"They might be hostile around Sin, since she's an exorcist." She warned. She headed off afterwards, leaving the male to just blink a few times before following.

 _That's…true,_ Tyki thought with a strained expression. It was quite annoying for him to have to explain to the others, and he wished the Earl did that. Except, if it concerned Sin, he was willing.

With a sigh, he headed to her room to hang out with her. She was probably reading a book or doing some sort of activity like arranging cards among other things. There wasn't much she could do, anyway.

When he reached her door, he found that the door was open. His eyes narrowed and he quickly went inside, hearing a scuffle.

"Sin!" He saw her on the ground, someone on top of her, hands around her neck.

"Ty…ki…!" She gasped for air, clawing and holding onto the hands that wrapped her neck.

With one swift movement, the Noah of Pleasure pulled the person off her. He recognised it as a Noah that had just been awakened; it was Tryde, the Noah of Judgement. He threw him to the side, not caring if he hit anything, and went to Sin's aid.

She was coughing, holding her neck as she gasped for air, eyes wide and shocked.

"What is the meaning of this, _Tyki_?!" Tryde stood up, eyes narrowing at the other Noah. He turned his eyes to Sin, seeing her eyes widen with fear when he did. Her hands were shaking, her lips trembling.

Tyki pushed her behind him, glaring at the other male. "Oi, oi! She's a guest here! Don't harm her." He tried to keep his voice calm so that it wouldn't cause a huge commotion, but the edge to his voice was borderline threatening.

Sin, having nearly regained her breath, shakily held onto the back of Tyki's shirt, hiding her face. She was reminded of the time when Li Jun tried to strangle her, and it brought back horrible memories that she didn't want to relive.

Tryde glowered at Tyki for a long moment, before a voice interrupted at the door.

"She is, you know." Road took a couple of steps into the room, hands behind her back as she headed to Tryde. She hooked her arm around his and started to drag him out, "Now, let's go tell everyone that she isn't to be harmed, okay, Tryde?" However happy and calm Road sounded, the underlying message from her tone of voice wasn't nice.

Feeling a shiver come up his spine from the smaller female, Tryde nodded slowly and let himself be dragged out by her.

"I like Sin too, you know. I won't forgive you if you hurt her." Road was smiling, but anybody could tell she wasn't at all. She closed the door behind her, leaving Tyki and Sin alone.

The Noah let out a sigh of relief. He didn't want to get into a fight with the other Noah.

He looked over his shoulder, seeing that the Chinese girl was up against his back, her face buried in his shirt. In an awkward way, he pried her hands off his shirt and turned around, pulling her into a hug, caressing her head.

She was shaking and held onto Tyki as if her life depended on it. They didn't speak at all, only silence filling the room as she calmed down.

Sin rested her forehead on the crook of Tyki's neck, surprising him.

"…that was scary." She said, her voice slightly hoarse.

Tyki didn't say anything in return. He was going to let her tell him out of her own accord, since he felt like questions shouldn't be asked now.

"…he came into this room, but when he saw me…he attacked. Who was he? Tryde? He was a Noah, right?" The hoarseness in her voice eventually faded away, and she was able to talk normally.

"Yeah, he was. Newly awakened, too."

"…I see. But why did he attack me? He shouldn't have known I was an exorcist." Sin mumbled in his neck.

Feeling her breath against his neck, he shivered slightly, arms tightening around her. "I don't know, maybe he felt the presence of Innocence."

"That might be the case." Sin breathed a sigh, getting off Tyki.

The absence of her warmth made Tyki sigh under his breath. He stood up, seeing where she was going. She had headed to the mirror to check the condition of her neck.

Tyki walked slowly towards her, staring into the mirror that reflected the both of them.

"…this will bruise." Sin gently touched the red marks. It was slightly painful. She was quite glad that she didn't have an actual wound this time.

Tyki was reminded of something, "Actually, it might not, Sin. Don't you recover from stuff like this really quickly?"

Realisation hit her, having forgotten about that strange ability of hers. "That's true! I can't believe I forgot about that." She breathed a sigh of relief. "If it was a normal bruise, it'd normally take a while to fade away."

"As long as you're alright, I'm happy." Tyki shrugged, murmuring to himself.

Except, Sin heard him.

"I could say the same to you. Don't get hurt, you hear me? I need you to come back to me in one piece with no wounds." Sin grinned at him.

He opened his mouth to say something, but laughed instead, ruffling and messing her hair.

' _ **Come back to me in one piece'**_ _, huh…well, not that I don't come back to you but that sounds like you're low key confessing to me,_ Tyki shook the thought out of his head.

 _As if, who am I kidding?_

* * *

 _ **Hm. I can take control this way now, huh,**_ Mei sat up, having taken control of Sin's body whilst she was sleeping. _**Interesting.**_

She glanced outside, seeing that the moon was still out, and it was still dark.

 _ **Should be around 2 or 3 in the morning, I feel.**_

The female slid out of bed, heading over to the dresser, where she could see a slight reflection of herself. It was the same as she'd always seen when Sin went to look in the mirror. However, the hair and eye colour was different. Mei felt the area around her neck; it had already healed.

 _ **Gotta say, it's a good thing I heal fast. That Noah…did he sense that there was Innocence in the room when he came in and attacked Sin? Hm.**_

Her eyes glazed over and narrowed as she glanced outside, then at the door. Feeling no one's presence except her own in the room and around, she grabbed her Innocence that was underneath the pillow, holding onto it as she went to the balcony.

A chill of cold air hit her skin, the cold winds blowing her hair in every direction. Except, she didn't feel cold. Sin might have if she was currently controlling the body, but Mei did not. She was used to the feeling of being cold, after her takeover of many hosts, as she'd put it.

Her gaze flickered to the side, where she saw another balcony that she would be able to jump over. She currently only had one thing in mind, and she was going to act upon it.

* * *

Tyki's golden eyes widened as he woke up from his sleep, feeling a weight on top of him. He cocked an eyebrow, a smirk dancing on his lips as he let out a confused "Oh?"

"I never thought you'd be _this_ forward." Tyki teased. He could feel a cold metal on his neck, and he knew that it was her Innocence, since he wasn't able to pass through it. He didn't do much and just lay there, waiting for Mei to say something. "You know, sneaking into a man's room at night isn't really what's expected of a Lady." He taunted, chuckling.

Mei didn't speak, her eyes only narrowing at him. She knew that he was already well aware that Sin wasn't the one in control right now.

"So, what did you want, Mei?" The male Noah questioned.

"… **why would you do so much for Sin?** " She already knew the answer, but asked anyway.

He raised both brows in surprise, before looking at her with an 'are you serious' expression. "Why are you asking when you already know the answer?" He avoided the question. He didn't want to admit something like that to Mei, since Sin and she both share the same body. There would be a chance that Sin would've heard.

Mei chuckled and lifted the hairpin away from Tyki's neck, just a centimetre, before spinning it between her fingers and holding it in a way that it would easily stab someone.

" **Is that to say that you know that even if she was an exorcist, you'd still stay by her side?** " Mei inched the pin closer to him.

Tyki's golden eyes flickered to the pin, then back at Mei. "Isn't that what I've already been doing?"

"… **is it by your own violation or is it by the order of the Earl?"** This time, Mei's voice had taken an edge to it.

Tyki's eyes narrowed slightly at her, having picked up on the change in tone. "How is the Earl related to this?"

The Seraphim user stared at Tyki for a long time, contemplating whether or not to say a word. " **Just answer the question, lover boy**."

"Lover…boy…?" Tyki made a weird face at the nickname. He didn't like it at all. It was worse than the Earl's nicknames. With a sigh, he answered, "By my own. The Earl did say to protect her, too, so that's part of it, I guess…"

Mei pressed a hand next to his face, pulling herself closer to Tyki, red eyes eyeing him like a predator, " **So, do you know what the Earl is planning?** " Her hand inched closer to him, the hairpin barely touching his neck.

 _What the Earl is planning? Doesn't that mean she's suspicious of the Earl?_ Tyki's eyes didn't leave hers. If this were Sin, he'd be tempted to steal a kiss right then and there. But, it wasn't so he didn't want to.

" **Apart from wanting the days of darkness back and defeating the Innocence, the Earl's got something else up his sleeve, doesn't he?"** Mei pushed herself back up and threw her legs over the side, leaning on him horizontally, and the pin still by his neck. She could activate it anytime she wanted.

It took Tyki a moment to realise that she wasn't talking about their current ambitions right now. However, he didn't know what other things the Earl's got planned. He would expect Road to know a lot more than he did.

"…I don't know. Road would know more than me. It's useless asking me any of those questions." He sighed, propping himself up on his elbows.

 _ **So, Road will know more? I see…is it the same plot that the Earl had before?**_ Mei thought to herself. _**Or should I wait for Wisely to reincarnate and tell me everything?**_

"Why don't you give Sin her body back and let her sleep here with me tonight?" Tyki sent a smile her way, which she made a face to.

" **I could kill you in your sleep**." Mei threatened. " **I'm only keeping you alive because that idiot wants you alive."** However, she didn't say anything else. That was only one of her reasons.

… _eh?_ Tyki's eyes widened slightly, _why is Mei following Sin's orders? I would've thought she'd be the type to just do whatever she wanted. Hm…_

" **Anyway, I'm heading back. Sorry for pointing this thing at you**." Mei pulled back the Innocence and hopped off the bed, heading back to where the balcony was, but stopped short.

She looked back at Tyki, her lips pressed together in a line. Her expression seemed blank, but it was difficult to decipher. " **Oi, Lover boy** ," She paused a little once she knew his attention was on her, " **If it's a happy ending you want, that probably won't happen. Not as long as the Noah and Innocence exist**."

With a nod of the head, she jumped back to her room.

Tyki just watched her go, raising both eyebrows at the apology and what she said after. "That was certainly a weird wake up."

He sat up fully, running a hand through his loose hair. He remembered that face that Mei made when she was on top of him. It was only for less than a split second, but he saw it.

 _Why did she look so shocked?_ Was on Tyki's mind.

He sighed to himself and rubbed the back of his head, yawning.

 _So Mei thinks the Earl is plotting something against her? Where have I heard this before…? Oh, that's right. Even Sin was suspicious that the Earl would help her. Though, I doubt their reasoning is the same._

The words that she had spoken before she left was confusing for Tyki.

 _What happy ending? As long as Noah and Innocence exist, huh…_

He had an inkling of a feeling that he knew what she was talking about, but he still didn't understand why she had said that.

 _Ah, that's right._ He recalled back to that time when he happened to eavesdrop on the Earl, Road and Sin's conversation about her Innocence and Mei.

 _She had a relation with a Noah and ended up having their kid. Then, they got killed and is now a memory of Innocence._ Tyki wondered if that was the reason why Mei said something like that.

 _Is she referring to me and Sin?_

He pressed his lips together and his brows knit together as he concentrated on a certain spot on the duvet.

 _Is this a warning?_

* * *

The following morning, Sin was the one who came to wake Tyki up. She had a good night's sleep and didn't know of the events that occurred that night. However, Tyki did.

"Tyki—ah!" Sin was pulled under the covers with him. He hugged her as she tried to escape, but to no avail. She tried to wriggle herself away but that didn't help. "What are you doing? You're supposed to wake up, not drag someone in to hug as a pillow!"

Sin ignored the light blush that had come to her cheeks. She didn't expect any of this to happen in the morning, and in a bed no less. If somebody saw them like this there'd be no end to the teasing.

She tried to get out of his grasp, pushing against him with all fours.

"H-h-hey! If you keep this up we'll both fall off!" Tyki grabbed the headboard, trying to keep himself from falling off. "Stop struggling!"

As if he didn't say anything at all, Sin was the first one to fall off the bed, hitting the ground with a loud thump.

"Ow…" She groaned and sat up, rubbing the side of her arm and hip. She frowned slightly, running a hand through her hair to clean it up.

Tyki sighed, getting out of bed himself. He was only having a little bit of fun, but it turned into something like this. "Sorry. You alright?" He pulled her up.

"Did you really have to do that? You surprised me!" Sin placed a hand over her chest and heaved out a large exhale, trying to get the light red off her cheeks.

"Oh? Are you blushing, Sin?" Tyki teased, leaning forward to inspect her cheeks. As he mentioned it, Sin took a step back and shook her head.

"N-no I'm not!" She pushed past him and headed to the door, "Let's go eat."

"That's two lies you've told." Tyki lifted two fingers in a victory sign, chuckling.

Sin stopped at the door, her hand on the handle. She turned to Tyki with a thinking expression. "What was the other one?"

"So you're admitting you were blushing?" Tyki automatically switched back to his teasing mode, coming up behind her. He placed a hand on her head and messed up her hair yet again, grinning.

At the mention of that, Sin sighed, "Fine, I was. But what was the other one?"

"You don't remember?" The male leaned against the wall, giving her a grin, "It was when you said you wouldn't cry. Remember? You clung to me like your life depended on it."

He was making it sound a lot more embarrassing than it actually was, hoping to lighten the situation. Slowly, he saw her eyes widen as if in realisation, before she looked away, looking deep in thought.

 _Aw, no blush this time?_ He almost pouted.

"If memory serves me right…I held your hand the whole time, didn't I?" She said it so matter-of-factly and not embarrassed at all that it surprised the male. "I do recall something along the lines of that."

She paused, her blue eyes going back to Tyki's golden ones. "Thanks for staying by me that time." She mumbled bashfully, almost incoherently.

She opened the door and headed out, leaving a stunned Tyki to process her words. As speechless as he was, he let a smile onto his lips as he followed behind her.

* * *

Many days later, Sin was left by herself in the Ark, petting Lulubell in her cat form. She had offered to stay with her after Tyki and Road went to another tea party, in which she declined the invitation to.

She sat in silence as she read a recent book by one of her favourite authors. Lulubell was resting on her lap, and she pet her slowly and gently.

 _ **He's back.**_

Hearing Mei in her head that broke the silence, Sin averted her eyes away from the book, looking outside.

 _What is it, Mei?_

… _ **oh, it's nothing. Keep on reading that little book of yours.**_

 _Oh…okay then._

Now, Sin hardly thought it was nothing. But, if Mei declined it that would mean that she didn't want to tell her, and she didn't want to pry something that someone didn't want to say. After all, Mei would tell her when the time was right. However, she didn't know when that would be.

… _I don't even know how much time I have left._ Sin looked back at the book, closing it and putting it on the table. She stared down at Lulubell, petting her cat form's fur.

 _How much longer would I be able to stay normal like this?_ Sin was reminded of the headaches that plagued her before, and how sometimes, she would dream of situations that she herself hadn't experienced.

She recalled Mei telling her that she would slowly envelop her mind, and that was something that would be inevitable.

 _Is this because this 'seal' had stopped working? Taking over my mind…rather, my consciousness, I feel,_ Sin paused her thoughts for a brief moment.

… _I thought the more I used the wings, the faster this would happen. Am I right in anticipating that it would happen faster than what I expected?_ Sin's eyes narrowed slowly.

 _I haven't even used the wings in a while. Doesn't this mean that that's an invalid thought?_ Sin sighed gently to herself, _I don't even know that much. How am I supposed to make an accurate guess like this?_

* * *

"Tyki, you're smoking again…" Sin frowned as she approached the male, who was sitting by the pond with a fishing rod, dressed in the clothes he wore with the troupe. He didn't have the glasses and seemed to be sitting in silence, with someone next to him.

"Eh? That's a first, you coming to me out here." Tyki grinned, taking the cigarette out to his side. He patted the rock next to him, motioning her to sit there with him.

Sin headed over, but stopped short when she saw the person beside him turn to face her.

The person who sat beside him seemed to have somewhat wavy white hair and a turban around his head, with 3 extra eyes on his forehead. He was dressed in warm clothes, with a frog on top of his head. He turned around, and immediately his eyes widened when he saw her. He had the same set of golden eyes as Tyki.

 _Who?_ Sin stared at him, wondering why he looked so shocked when he saw her. "Hello…" She said slowly. She wasn't at all shocked or remotely surprised that he had more eyes than normal. She had seen weirder things.

"Hm?" Tyki glanced at the male, then back at Sin, seeing that they were just watching each other with curious eyes. His gaze went back to Sin, "Sin, this is Wisely. He's…my nephew, apparently."

"Apparently?" Sin looked at him strangely, then laughed lightly, "Okay. It's nice to meet you, Wisely. I'm Sin. I hope we get along." She smiled at the smaller boy.

"Eh, so you're the famous Sin that Tyki keeps thinking about." Wisely didn't hold back his words, chuckling cheekily as he grinned at the female. The frog on his head croaked.

Sin blinked a couple of times before she looked at Tyki, "You shouldn't worry about me all the time, Tyki. You've got to care for yourself, too." She went over to him and placed a hand on his head, her fingers going through his hair. She redid his ponytail.

Wisely brows jumped, but he wanted to laugh because of Tyki's expression. It was a mixture of a lot of things.

"Thanks…" The taller male Noah sighed when she finished up.

"Urgh, Tyki, you stink like smoke. That's got to be bad for you." Even if she complained, she still sat down next to him, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Well I don't need it now that you're here." Tyki glanced at her from the side of his eye.

"That's because I keep complaining that you should stop." She countered. She had completely missed the mark that he was trying to aim for, causing him to sigh internally.

Wisely watched them with amusement. They were certainly an interesting pair.

 _But, even so…_ Wisely stared at Sin for a very long time, eyes slowly narrowing as he observed her, and examined her like a new object, _she…_

"Since he's your nephew…does that mean he's a Noah, too?" Sin questioned suddenly, catching Wisely staring at her. She stared right back, wondering what he was thinking. It was like he was trying to figure something out.

Tyki nodded, "Yeah."

"Wouldn't Mei have told you?" Wisely mused with a small smile.

The Chinese woman's eyes widened, surprised he knew about Mei. Did Tyki tell him? She glanced at him for a moment, but he didn't look surprised.

 _I'm the only Noah that retained their memories even after being killed 35 years ago. And it just so happens that Mei is someone I remember very, very well,_ Wisely thought.

"Don't worry, I wasn't reading her thoughts." His statement was made to Tyki, whose expression had turned slightly irritated.

 _Even if I did, there was nothing of value to listen to right now, anyway,_ Wisely smiled.

"You can read thoughts? Is that your power?" Sin questioned with surprise. She knew that the Noah all had special abilities similar to Innocence, but she didn't know what.

 _Hm? Interesting. So Mei hasn't told her much about the Noah, and she's just found out by herself,_ the former homeless Noah hummed lightly, nodding.

"Part of it. Now, don't go thinking that I won't read your thoughts! You're an exorcist, after all."

 _Uh…_ former _exorcist, you mean…_ Sin wanted to laugh, but she didn't. If this Noah was able to read thoughts, then that would mean she wouldn't even need to speak for him to understand her intentions.

 _That's not good at all…_ Sin unconsciously looked towards Tyki, which Wisely picked up.

 _Oho? What's this?_ Wisely held a teasing smirk on his face. It was gone after a moment when he realised that Sin wasn't thinking of anything romantic. _That's no fun…but, it does remind me of back then…_

"Ah, that's right." Tyki suddenly remembered something and looked to Sin, "We'll be out for a while tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Sin questioned, brows raising. "Another tea party?"

"Nah, it's not a tea party." A mischievous gleam glinted in his eyes, "I'll be seeing the boy again."

It took Sin a whole minute to realise what he was talking about. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, worry etched all on her features. "Don't you dare rough up Allen! He did nothing!"

"W-woah, calm down! Calm down!" Tyki shoved the fishing rod to Wisely and grabbed onto the former exorcist's wrists, stopping her. "You're still angry about me injuring him before, aren't you?"

Sin frowned ever so slightly, her brows creasing as she stared at Tyki for a long moment, before nodding just once.

"Well, the boy's becoming a Noah, so he'll have those superhuman abilities that will help him. There's nothing wrong about it. He'll heal." Tyki smiled. He wasn't really joking, but his tone made it sound like he was.

Sin slapped both of her hands on his cheeks, leaving them there as she pinched them and pulled them.

"Whag ah oo oin' (What are you doing)?!" He complained, getting a little teary eyed. It hurt more than he thought it would.

Wisely choked on laughter in the background.

"Even so, don't hurt my friends so much! I know you're enemies and all but I don't want them dead the next time we meet!"

"I can't guarantee anything, though!" Tyki pouted, finally managing to pull her hands away from his face. "This is my job?"

Sin frowned, but then her features softened to a difficult one. "…if you even kill one of them I'll kick you." She muttered under her breath.

"I guess I'll be getting a lot of kicks, then." He concluded after a brief pause.

Sin lightly chopped the top of his head. "I'd rather not do any kicking at all!"

"And it's okay to chop my head?!"

Wisely watched them in amusement, playing around with the fishing rod. He likened them to a married couple that were just bickering. It was cute while it lasted, even if he was third wheeling.

Wisely stared at the water, seeing their reflections on it. Tyki was saying something, and Sin was chopping his head again.

 _Should I just leave them alone or something?_

* * *

 _What is this?_ Wisely glared at Sin's back as she walked forward, ahead of both him and Tyki.

They were just walking back from the garden where they were fishing, and were now taking a leisurely stroll around the rest of the garden.

 _Why can't I read_ her _thoughts?_ The Noah of Wisdom brooded. Normally he could hear every and anything from someone else's mind if he wanted. But for some reason, he couldn't reach the voice that he had waited 35 years to hear.

 _Why can't I hear Mei's voice? It was easier last time!_ Wisely had scrunched up his nose, quite annoyed. He wanted to know what was up with Mei right now, especially after it had been 35 years. He had a number of questions to ask her.

Tyki noticed Wisely's change of aura and expression, glancing over to check on the frog owner. He stared at him like he was a weird being, wondering why he was glaring at Sin.

"O-oi, what's wrong? Why are you glaring at her like that?" Tyki questioned.

Wisely looked to his adoptive uncle, "I can't read Mei's thoughts. She's sealed off from me."

"Hah?" Tyki raised a brow, confused. He knew Wisely liked to read thoughts, even if he tried to deny it and lie through his teeth.

 _Moreover, what's even more confusing is that I don't hate her, even after her reveal as a former exorcist. Why is that? I did try and kill the other one 35 or so years ago, but this one…she's…_ Wisely couldn't really pinpoint his thoughts. It had been so long since he had thought of one of the earliest memories that he had, and it was quite hard to remember every single little detail.

 _ **If it's a boy, I'll name him after you, what do you say?**_

"Ah." Wisely stopped in his tracks, having remembered something he was happy about from 7000 years ago.

Tyki, in turn, stopped too, looking back at him in confusion. "You look like you just thought of a great idea."

Demon Eye Wisely was quiet for a long moment, staring at Sin when she looked over her shoulder to see them stop.

"Is everything okay? Why have you stopped?" She walked to them, looking at the both of them interchangeably as she neared.

Wisely stared at her for a long moment, the glare no longer controlling his eyes. He sighed in realisation, shrugging as he continued forward.

"Come on, I'm getting hungry." Wisely just walked ahead of them.

Sin stared after him, wondering what was up. She turned to Tyki, "Is Wisely okay?"

"…yeah, he's fine." Tyki didn't have any idea what the hobo was thinking, so he pushed that all aside and continued walking, patting Sin's back and pushing her gently along.

"Come on, I didn't have any fish today so I'm going to eat some fish."

"Tyki, that's like the only thing you ever eat."

"It's the secret to my beauty. You should try it too."

* * *

That night, Mei took over Sin's consciousness yet again, however, she didn't leave the room. Instead, she got up in the wee hours of the morning while the sun was still down and darkness shrouded the room.

 _ **This should be a good time**_ _,_ Mei thought, sensing that nobody was nearby. Tyki didn't seem to be in his room either, which didn't surprise her.

 _ **The Noah are probably having a meeting for the plan of attack with what they're doing with the exorcists,**_ she concluded.

 _ **Hmph, better that they're not here to feel the presence of Innocence. That would be damn distracting.**_

Mei invoked her wings, letting them expand to their full size, all 6 of them coming from her back. She raised a hand as her wings folded in front of her, tapping the air as if she were tapping an invisible screen.

The area around her became black, the only illumination being the green glow from her wings. She looked to each wing, seeing the different statuses, such as the power levels and how long she can use them for and etcetera.

 _ **Hm…power levels became 78%, hm. Not too long before it reaches 100% or above. Speed…normal functioning; restoration, 100%.**_

Mei's eyes scanned to the top, where she could see a red pulsing sign in a language that was too old for people now to decipher.

… _ **3 more uses, not including this one, and she will be gone,**_ Mei reached into her mind, finding that Sin's consciousness was still asleep.

 _ **Well, not really but she'll be eternally stuck to watch.**_

Mei paused for a second, staring at the pulsing red for a long moment.

She waved her hand and she was back to the room that she could now see. It became illuminated by the moonlight, casting a long shadow of her and her wings.

She revoked the Wings of Seraph and placed a hand in her pant pocket, fiddling with the hairpin that was the other Innocence.

 _ **Having two Innocences is really draining,**_ she frowned slightly, _**good thing I'm used to it.**_

Mei placed her other hand on her hip, leaning into her hip. She had her back turned to the balcony, but she knew when people were nearby.

 _ **Wisely, you're still sneaking up on me like this?**_ Mei thought with a bored look. She turned around, seeing him sitting on the balcony rails, dangling his legs. He was wearing his full Noah attire.

"Good evening, Mei. It's nice to see that you remember me." Wisely's voice wasn't too loud and Mei could barely hear it, but she could read lips almost just as easily. It was something she learnt when Seraphim resided in a deaf woman's body.

Mei watched as he opened the balcony door and let himself in, shivering from the slight cold. He rushed over and grabbed a blanket from the drawer and threw it over himself, smiling when he found warmth.

" **Are you here to just steal a blanket from the room?"** Mei deadpanned.

"No, yes, I mean, not really but it was there so I took it." The Noah of Wisdom shrugged and waved a free hand dismissively.

" **So, what did you want to say to me? You're normally always here for a reason.** " Mei sat down on the bed, crossing her legs.

Wisely stared at Mei for a long time, finding that she sported a different hair and eye colour from Sin. Same face, but different colours. It reminded him of the last time he saw her, and it was pretty much the same, with the same face as the host but with different coloured eyes and hair. Always silver hair and red eyes. Except, that time, Mei didn't bother to return the original consciousness of the body.

He tried to get a grip of what she was thinking about, but he couldn't actually hear her thoughts. He raised a brow, wondering what the hell was up with that.

Seeing him confused and slightly dumbfounded, Mei just chuckled, a small smirk growing on her lips, almost as if it was to mock him. " **You still can't figure it out?** "

Wisely's eye twitched and he sent an annoyed glare her way, finding that she was just as cunning and mocking as she was before, 35 years ago.

"You haven't changed one bit." He managed to say with a forced smile. "For better or for worse."

" **Why thank you.** "

 _I was able to hear what she was thinking back 35 years ago, and back 7000 years ago, too. What did she do? Switch consciousness with the host body? Ah._ Wisely finally got it.

He remembered that most of the time when Mei was in the other host body within the time of his previous reincarnation, he was able to read her thoughts. But halfway through that, he wasn't able to anymore, and it bothered him quite a bit.

" **Seems you finally got it."** Mei just smiled at him. " **That took you over 35 years. Congratulations on your long time achievement!"**

Wisely sighed at her teasing, "I'm guessing the 14th told you how to do that?" He could feel anger bubbling inside of him just at the mentioning of the 14th, the Noah that tried to kill the Earl.

" **Him? No way. He doesn't even know how I work, which means he'd have no idea. Of course I came up with this myself. I'm not dumb, you know."** Mei rolled her eyes.

"I know you're not dumb." Wisely's tone changed, a serious tone replaced his normal tone of jest, "Which is why I want to know if you and the 14th were in arms." His eyes narrowed and glared at her, but she wasn't unnerved.

Mei studied Wisely for a moment, seeing that the anger on his face was true to the hatred that his Noah felt for the 14th and Innocence.

 _ **So he wants to know whether or not I helped in killing the Noah 35 years ago, huh…**_

She closed her eyes and leaned back on the bed, staring at the bed frame's ceiling. " **If I was, what are you going to do about it? You can't kill me because the Earl needs me."**

The murderous intent coming from Wisely, even if he wasn't a fighting type, was tremendous.

Before he could say anything, Mei leaned forward, resting her elbows on her thigh, " **I know how much you want to think that I did something, but unfortunately, I had nothing to do with what Nea did. I don't take pleasure in killing Noah when I know that they're going to be after me in their reincarnations.** " Mei chuckled lightly at the end.

Wisely's glare softened and he sighed to himself, almost in relief.

"… **why do you sound so relieved?** " Mei questioned, bringing her legs up and crossing them. It was strange for her to hear the Noah of Wisdom so relieved, especially since they're enemies. " **What, do you not want to kill me or something?** "

"Maybe not." Wisely shrugged to himself.

 _I hate your Innocence but I don't hate you,_ was what Wisely wanted to say, but if she heard it she might misunderstand.

" _ **I hate your Innocence, but I don't hate you,**_ **right?** " Mei laughed when she saw Wisely's expression, like she had hit the jackpot. " **It was written all over your face!** "

"Wha, n-no! No way!"

"I **don't really care either way. But it's a fact that I don't hate you. Remember all those fun times we had together all those years ago? I kind of miss them**." Mei smiled small. She was coming off a little sentimental, but it was hard not to when there was someone who remembered everything she could.

Wisely, having been flustered before, relaxed, and remembered those times. They were still fighting Innocences and whatnot back then, but they somehow managed to befriend and tolerate an exorcist, who had fallen in love with a Noah.

It was almost like a fairy tale.

Amidst the silence, Wisely was the first to speak. " **Do you want to know what happened after you got killed by Apocryphos?"** It was a sudden question, but it was something that was on his mind for a while now.

Mei's eyes narrowed slightly at the mentioning of Apocryphos. " **What about it? Wasn't there a flood and everyone died except for the Noah, and they repopulated the earth? Something like that, right?** "

"Yeah, that's true, but," Wisely paused for a moment, "Your kid wasn't named after me." He sulked after the sentence escaped his mouth, almost like an angry hen.

Mei laughed, slapping her knee at the thing that Wisely wanted to say. It was absolutely ridiculous how she thought he'd say something serious, but it ended up being something so trivial.

" **I only agreed for the name you had at that time. Right now you're a hobo from London, and I wasn't going to name my kid after your Noah name**." Mei shook her head with a smirk, " **Anyway, I couldn't! It was a girl!** "

Wisely pouted, "I knew that."

" **You really wanted the kid to be named after you, didn't you?** " Mei snickered.

"Kind of." Wisely sighed, before wrapping the blanket closer around himself. "But seriously, after you left, Joyd was devastated. He nearly destroyed Apocryphos in rage, but it escaped."

Mei fell silent, remembering the last moments of her 'real' life. It was all red, green and black, a mixture of blood, Innocence and the Noah of Pleasure's powers.

"Rest assured, she was safe. Joyd looked after her very well." Wisely was staring at the ground now, going through his memory files.

Most of the memories he knew weren't his, but he knew exactly what happened then, and thus, it was a simple and easy task to talk about it. Except, the emotions that went with what he was talking about now wasn't a simple matter. They were strong emotions, and he couldn't stop them.

Mei stared at the ground, then her gaze went back up to Wisely. She was curious as to what had happened then, but at the same time, she didn't really want to know. She knew that he had summed it up to the simplest of words, and she didn't want to delve deeper into what would probably be a pit of sadness.

After all, the moment when she saw Joyd for the first time after so long, at the tower, was something that she hadn't seen for over 7000 years. And surprisingly, it was his black knight form, too, the same thing she had seen just before she died.

"… **at least tell me if I had grandchildren or not**." Mei muttered.

"Oh, you did. Runa had a few kids." Wisely was grinning this time.

"… **Runa?** " Mei stared at him with furrowed brows. She then raised a brow, " **Is that what Joyd named her?** "

"Mhmm." He hummed.

"… **I see.** "

Wisely wasn't able to see, but there was a ghost of a smile on Mei's face when she said those words.

" **Anyway.** " Mei snapped out of her thoughts, " **Are you just here to talk about the past, or did you actually have something you wanted to say?** "

Wisely fell silent for a moment, before his expression turned serious.

"Mei, what are you planning?"


	23. Chapter 22

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #22

* * *

It was no joke that Wisely had become suspicious of Mei. It was already suspicious enough that she was on good terms with the former 14th Noah, and that he couldn't read her thoughts. There would have to be a reason behind it, and he wanted to get to the bottom of and know why.

However, Mei didn't give him a proper answer, the only words leaving her lips being: " **You will know when the time comes.** "

Wisely frowned to himself as he sat on the floor of Tyki's room, crossing his arms, pulling the blankets closer to him.

"What are you doing here, Wisely?" Tyki slightly raised his brow when he saw his nephew in his room. He had just come back.

Wisely spared him a glance, but didn't respond, only continuing doing what he was doing before.

 _Now that I think about it, what happened to Apocryphos? Is it after Sin, or is it going to start pursuing the 14_ _th_ _'s reincarnation?_ Wisely suddenly thought. He glanced back at Tyki, seeing that he was going to bed, yawning.

 _On a side note…_ Wisely read his uncle's thoughts, which were a jumbled mess at that point of time.

 _Joyd may take action?_ Wisely raised a brow to himself, wondering if it was a coincidence that everything seemed to line up.

* * *

The following night, the Noah dispersed around the world, appearing as the leaders of akuma that the exorcists were fighting.

In the North American Branch, most of the scientists, including Rouvelier and the branch Chiefs, were taken a hold of by Sheril's Noah ability. They were held there without their will, watching on as Alma Karma awakened, who was the second exorcist who had an akuma nucleus planted into them.

While they were busy doing whatever they needed to do over on that side, Sin was forced to stay inside the Ark.

 _The main reason they're not letting me outside is because Apocryphos will get to me…I think,_ Sin thought, an image of the earless independent Innocence popping into her mind.

… _so what now? What do I do in this time? Pry and see what I can find inside this Ark?_ She paused her thoughts for a moment, then hit a fist to her open palm, finding that she had actually thought up of a good idea.

"Not a bad idea…" She mumbled to herself, standing up. She headed to the door, remembering that nobody would be in the Ark. They would all be out, confronting her former exorcist companions.

… _I hope that nothing bad happens to any of them,_ Sin wished that the Noah didn't do anything too horrific. She had remembered in one of the dreams she had, she had witnessed the Noah torturing an exorcist; something that was seen by absolute coincidence.

 _But I can't hope for anything like that; what with knowing how much the Noah hate Innocence. I can't even be sure that they wouldn't kill me if I was left alone._ Sin sighed to herself. She pressed a finger to her forehead, closing her eyes for a brief moment to calm herself down.

She opened the door and took a look both ways before heading out. She was going to go exploring, and exploring she went.

The rooms she went to were all pretty normal, nothing out of the ordinary. It was like any other noble's house she went to; expensive ornamentation everywhere, and everything was clean. It wasn't like the old Ark at all.

… _is this really just a normal home though? I'm on the Ark, so there's bound to be something interesting here,_ Sin pouted and crossed her arms, letting out an annoyed groan.

She continued down the hallway, checking in every room. Surprisingly, all of them were left unlocked. It was like they expected her to come around and check out every room.

 _That's strange…_ Sin thought back to when she was on the old Ark that was now being controlled by the exorcists, _now that I think about it, the old Ark had all its doors open. The only door that we had to 'unlock' was Road's door, and we were given the key by Tyki._

Sin stopped walking and pressed a loose fist to her lips, brows slightly knitting together.

 _Will there be any of Road's doors here? Wait, it's possible, but she'll know if I enter them, won't she? But then again, not all of her doors are locked._

 _What am I even thinking? I'm just exploring. There's nothing to find, most likely. It's just something to do while they're out doing who knows what,_ the princess headed forward again, this time not caring whether or not the doors were locked or unlocked.

* * *

Allen didn't stop Kanda from thrusting Mugen through his torso, cleanly cutting through to the other side. He and Kanda were fighting, due to Kanda being too worked up to see the big picture, and Allen was trying to help. However, it ended up like this.

It was the final step for Allen to start becoming the 14th.

At the back of Tyki's mind, he wondered how Sin would take the news. Would she attack and scream at him that he didn't do anything to stop it, or would she be accepting of the news, or would she sulk?

In the end, he just leave it at that and continued what he had to do.

* * *

Sin peered inside the last room, finding that it was a study. It didn't seem like anyone had been in it, nor did it look like it had been disturbed in a while. She walked in, hearing the light taps her feet made against the floor. Going over to the table, she looked through the drawers. Most of them were empty, except one.

She took out the item, staring at it for a moment. It looked very old, but it looked to be a piece of jewellery of some sort.

"A bracelet…?"

… _ **no, dingus, that's a necklace.**_

 _Mei? How do you know? Have you seen this before?_

 _ **Yeah, I have. That used to be mine from when I was still alive.**_

 _It's yours? How come it's here, though?_

 _ **Why are you asking me? As if I'd know! I don't know what it's doing here in the first place.**_

 _That's strange…if it's like that, maybe the Earl kept it as a memento or something._

 _ **As if he would do that.**_

Sin hummed lightly and put it back into the drawer, closing it gently. She didn't want to destroy something antique, even if it was accidental.

 _ **That necklace…was given to me by the Noah Joyd, back then.**_

Mei suddenly speaking to her with personal stories really surprised Sin. She stopped and stared at the bookshelves that lined the wall, not taking in any book titles, waiting for Mei to continue.

After all, it was a precious opportunity that Mei would come out and talk about herself. But she didn't know what she would say. The first sentence was already surprising to Sin.

 _ **I'm surprised you're not asking any questions.**_

 _I thought I'd wait for you to finish first._

… _ **just ask a question, damn it!**_

 _Oh, um, okay then. Joyd is the Noah memory that inhabits Tyki, isn't it?_

 _ **That's right. But he was an actual, live, person back when I was still alive. The Noah memory…it's something like what we're going through right now, where I am a memory that you can speak to. I'm pretty much an old lady.**_

 _Why did Joyd give you the necklace back then? Were you two friends?_

 _ **Friends? Rather, we were lovers.**_

Sin stood in silence, her blue eyes widening at the information she was given.

"WHAT?!" She exclaimed loudly.

 _ **Oi, oi…just because no one's here you don't need to be so loud.**_

 _Ah, um, I'm sorry. That was just quite a shock. I didn't expect that._

 _ **Eh? Didn't you hear the Earl, though? Not too long ago, he told you that I fell in love with a Noah. Well, newsflash: the Noah was Joyd.**_

 _Ah…is that so?_

 _ **Yeah, it is. Except, he's nothing like lover boy so chill the hell out.**_

 _But, I'm not…_

Sin sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. She leaned against the desk, supporting herself.

She couldn't really deny much considering that she didn't even know her feelings towards Tyki. She knew she was fond of him, but how much of that was romantic, she didn't know. It was a foreign feeling to her.

 _ **Anyway, Tyki is nothing like Joyd. I'm not going to steal him away from you or anything.**_

 _W-what?! That's not what I was thinking!_

 _ **Haha! You were totally thinking that!**_

 _No, I wasn't!_

 _ **On a side note, do you remember when we were at the tower in the old Ark? The place where you saw Tyki in his Noah form and was shocked as all hell?**_

… _yes, I remember that._

 _ **Well, remember when he became the dark knight, and I took over your body and fought him? At that time, that was the first time I had seen him in 7000 years. It was a very, very long time. I'm pretty sure that you'll now understand why I acted that way towards him.**_

Sin was reminded of that time, and now knew what those gestures from her meant. She didn't know that it would lead to something like this, but now that Mei had told her, she felt like she could trust her words. She didn't seem to be lying, either.

 _ **But rest assured, Tyki is all yours. I have no intention of taking him from you.**_

 _H-hey! Mei! Stop it! He's not my lover! He's a friend! I think…_

 _ **Oh man, if he heard that he'd be devastated. What do you mean, 'I think'? You confused or something?**_

 _What are you going on about, Mei?_

 _ **You're dense as all hell.**_

 _What's that supposed to mean?! Do you know something I don't?!_

 _ **I know a lot of things you don't, dummy.**_

 _Hmmmm…_

 _ **Oh, and by the way, you only have 3 more times to use the Wings of Seraph before you're taken over by me. Just a little warning, if you keep struggling, you're going to get hurt more, and I don't want to damage your memory.**_

 _Damage my memory? Mei, you want to preserve my memory?_

It was strange hearing Mei say that to her. Sin honestly thought that Mei wouldn't care whether or not she was swallowed by her memory. But time and time again, even just a little bit, it didn't seem like she wanted her to be.

Wanting answers, Sin waited for the Innocence's memory to respond, however, Mei didn't answer her question.

 _At it again with the silence…_ the former exorcist sighed to herself and ran a hand through her now medium length hair, pushing herself off the edge of the desk. She made her way outside, going back to where her assigned room was.

What Mei had said just before, with the number of times that she'd use her wings before she was taken over, made Sin think. It was strange how Mei knew, and how she was warning her beforehand.

She was slightly frightened by the prospect of losing control of her body and consciousness to Mei. She didn't know what she wanted to do, and she absolutely hoped that she didn't just go out on a killing rampage to kill every single person who had opposed her and wronged her.

 _I still don't know much about Mei? What is her goal, anyway? She never told me._

Sin stopped in her tracks, staring at the floor. She wasn't going to get anywhere by just questioning herself. Who could she ask? Who would know something that she didn't, apart from Mei?

 _The Noah of Wisdom! Wisely!_ Sin clapped her hands together. _He might know something! He reads minds, after all! Maybe he can read Mei's mind and tell me what's going on inside that head of hers!_

… _but they're on their 'mission' right now, aren't they?_ Sin started to walk slowly again, deep in thought.

Her mind wandered to Tyki, whom she had noticed was someone who stayed with her no matter what happened. He was always the one who had accompanied her, and someone who she now trusted a great deal.

 _Should I tell Tyki about what's happening to me right now?_ She quizzed herself, wondering what she should do.

Tyki was a Noah who had a sworn loyalty to the Earl. Sin was suspicious of the Earl, who had brought her in to help her and protect her, thinking that he had an ulterior motive. If she told Tyki about her problems, he might relay them to the Earl, and that might not do well in her situation.

It might even impact Tyki and Leon, who she both wanted to protect. Depending on what the Earl had in store for her, it might impact them both negatively if worst comes to worst.

 _This is why I'm so hesitant. I have to be cautious of everything, and I'm starting to hate it!_ She massaged her left shoulder gently, closing her eyes.

… _who can I even trust now?_

* * *

Once the Noah had returned from North America, they dispersed and did whatever they wanted to do, with Tyki heading straight to where he knew Sin was. It was easy to find her, outside resting and drinking tea.

However, Wisely was there before he was, chatting with her and enjoying tea together.

Now, Tyki wouldn't normally be the one who was pissed, but seeing that Wisely had beat him to the punch, it _slightly_ irritated him.

"I wasn't exactly a fighter but they still asked me to fight." Wisely pouted with his bottom lip out, crossing his arms.

The woman just laughed lightly, "At least you didn't get hurt." She murmured.

"Oh! You're so nice, Sin!" Wisely grinned, leaning on the table with his elbows. He was surprised that her words were so genuine, even for a Noah. When he looked into her mind he found out that she hoped no one was hurt.

"Oi, what are you doing?" Tyki came up to them, having heard the last part of their conversation. Was it just his imagination or was Wisely being a little bit strange?

"Welcome back, Tyki!" Sin smiled warmly at him. She reached her arms out to him as in a hugging gesture, which surprised both males as they stared at her with astonishment.

"What's this?" The beauty marked Noah questioned. Was he seeing things or was she asking for a hug? He wasn't too sure, so he continued to stare at her with slightly widened eyes, almost frozen.

Wisely whistled a low hum, a smirk on his lips. It wasn't every day that he saw something like this, especially with the Noah that held the memory of Pleasure. He looked to be a womaniser at a glance due to his good looks, but in actual he was a lazy, chill and friendly person who just wanted to live a free and interesting life.

Demon Eyes Wisely held back a chuckle, _and if you add Sin to the mix, it stirs the momentum._

Wisely was aware of what thoughts were going through Tyki's head, and almost wanted to laugh out loud at how hesitant he was towards this specific woman. Sin, on the other hand, was just as interesting.

"A hug!" Sin waved her arms around a little. She had noticed the look of confusion that his face held. She stood up and slapped both her hands onto Tyki's cheeks, holding them there as she stared at his golden eyes with her own blue ones. "What's with that look?" She pulled his cheeks before wrapping her arms around his torso, hugging him tightly.

Tyki's blinked a couple of times before his jaw dropped open in shock, wondering what the hell was going on when she hugged him firmly. He could feel the colour come to his face when he realised she was the one initiating it.

At this point, Wisely had bellowed out in laughter, slapping his hand on his thigh as he held his stomach, finding the situation absolutely hilarious.

Tyki, blushing? What was this, a new era?

Sin shot Wisely a strange look, wondering what was going through that mind of his. She didn't understand why he suddenly burst out in laughter. Was he okay?

The Mikk hesitant put his arms around her loosely, looking the other way as Wisely laughed, his cheeks burning.

 _Damn it, Wisely!_

The former exorcist, who had the side of her head resting against his chest, could feel his heartbeat become faster. She listened for a bit, finding that it didn't go back to normal.

She pulled away and looked up at him, seeing the tinge of red on his face. It was a _very_ rare sight to her, since he pretty much never blushed.

"Tyki, you're not sick, are you?" She asked out of concern.

Wisely, whose laughter had died down, started laughing again, this time even more so than the last. He ended up wheezing on the ground, struggling to get back up on the chair.

"No…I'm not." Tyki managed to say. He knew she was looking up at him, but he didn't want to look at her because he knew he might do something she didn't like.

"But your heart is beating so fast, and your face is flushed." She removed one arm from around him and placed it to his cheek, turning him to face her.

Tyki stared at her for a long moment. He would have enjoyed the company without Wisely's laughing in the background. He rested his forehead on her shoulder, effectively hiding his face from hers.

"I'm not sick…just…overwhelmed."

"From me hugging you?" Sin questioned.

Tyki only hummed a short reply in agreement.

Sin placed her hand behind his head, rubbing it gently, "But you're special to me, so I wanted to hug you."

He knew already, but hearing her say it to him in a whisper made him want to want to kiss her right then and there, but his morals restricted him.

"Oh, expect some more hugs from now on." She nuzzled against his head affectionately.

Wisely had stopped laughing at this point, and only stared with an interested expression.

 _She's going to hug him every day, huh. I see, so it's because Mei told her that she only has 3 uses for the Wings of Seraph left before it consumes her mind, and thus she wants to do whatever she can for those precious to her._

 _But why now? I'm sure Sin doesn't use it much…_

 _Oh._

Wisely's thoughts paused for a brief moment when he remembered that Mei was able to control her body and use it as she pleased.

 _So Mei's using it without her knowledge…does Sin know about this and is that the reason why she's doing stuff like this?_

He stared at Tyki and Sin, seeing that they were out of their hug and just chatting now, talking about what happened during the time they were fighting the exorcists just before.

 _Well, it_ is _interesting to see Tyki act like that. Wonder if Joyd is happy, too._

Wisely let a smile fall onto his lips when he took a sip of tea, watching the two. He remembered something like this from a very, very long time ago, something that he would have forgotten if he didn't meet Mei again.

* * *

"Hey, I need to go now. Wisely can keep you company, okay?" Tyki placed his larger hand on her head, ruffling her hair as he stood up.

They were playing a basic card game before his mission. Wisely and Road were with them, but Road was in her stuffed toy form, sitting on Wisely's shoulder. She had gone off him and jumped to Tyki, signalling that she was going to be in on the mission as well.

Sin had heard about the details of his mission when she asked. She was sulking a little while ago, but had gotten over it because there wasn't anything she could do. Instead, she just accepted it as it is.

"…okay. Stay safe. It's the Order so they're not very kind to the Noah." Sin warned.

" _Not very kind_ is an understatement…" Tyki muttered under his breath. He was about to go, but Sin pulled on his hand, motioning him to turn back.

She reached her arms out to him. Tyki knew this gesture, so he leaned down to give her a hug, which she grinned at. She included Road in it, holding her by the back before breaking away.

She waved as they went, seeing them exit quietly.

"Do you really have to do that every single time?" Wisely questioned. He wasn't actually playing cards, but he was observing. He would have won if he played due to his mind reading abilities.

Sin's blue eyes flickered to him, softening when she saw his questioning look. She nodded once and hugged her knees, leaning on them.

"I think you already know what I want to say, but…"

* * *

When Tyki returned, Road was not with him. He was bleeding by the hands and was still in his general Noah gear.

"Tyki?!" Sin stood up abruptly when he walked in holding bandages.

Wisely merely turned his head, knowing the details from reading his mind. His eyes narrowed, knowing the toll this would take on Tyki, and especially Joyd.

"Tyki, you're hurt!" Sin headed over to him and took the bandages out of his hand, bringing him over to the bed so that he could sit down and so she could bandage him.

"Sin, don't move." Tyki spoke, but there was an edge to his voice. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around, then wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly against him.

Sin didn't speak, her lips parting slightly from surprise as she realised that his eyes were closed and he was trying to calm himself down with deep breaths.

She slowly returned his hug, wondering what had happened for him to be this distraught. The last time she had seen him like this was when his scars were stinging, and she had walked in by accident when she heard glass breaking.

She patted his back gently, "Tyki, what's wrong?" She asked softly. "Do your scars sting?"

When he didn't reply, Sin tried to turn herself around in his arms so that she was facing the other way. After she did, she took his hand and began to bandage it in the awkward position.

 _I see, so that's what happened,_ Wisely thought. He had just taken another look into Tyki's mind. What he saw was a memory from Joyd that had somehow shown itself to Tyki, the memory's current host. It was from the time that Mei had been killed by Apocryphos, and the memory and emotions from that time had leaked to Tyki, so much that he didn't know what to do about it.

 _That's the problem with something like this. Let's just say that you're not the only one who's suffering through all these flashbacks, Sin._ Wisely turned to look at Joyd.

 _Joyd can't remember every single thing from back then, anyway. Only bits and pieces that were the most striking, like when Mei was killed. I guess that's why it's such a shock to the host._ The mind reading Noah closed his eyes and sighed gently.

 _It's only going to get more confusing from here._

"Sorry…" Tyki took his arms away from Sin, having calmed down. He looked to his hands, seeing that they were all bandaged. He didn't even notice that she did that. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Sin met him with a small smile, "Welcome back, Tyki."

In response, the male smiled, "Yeah. I'm home."

 _Just get married already, dumbasses,_ Wisely thought with a heavy, tired sigh. _You two sound like an old married couple._

* * *

"We're not going to tell her about Bookman and Eye Patch Lad, okay, Wisely?" Tyki was now alone with Wisely. Sin had gone to bed, leaving the two of them to chill wherever they wanted.

"I didn't think so." Wisely responded. "She'd just go on the hunt for them and that'd make it annoying for us."

Tyki couldn't agree more. Sin had a mind of her own, so depending on what she wanted to do, she'd do it. Plus, they needed Bookman for questioning, too.

He did have a question for Wisely, though. It wasn't in his nature to just pry, but it struck his curiosity.

Wisely knew that he had something to ask. He answered his question anyway, "That was Joyd's memory."

Tyki turned to Wisely, surprised. His look turned annoyed when he realised he read his mind again.

"That was the memory that made Joyd hate Apocryphos even more." Wisely turned to look at Tyki, whose eyes had widened. "You realised it too, didn't you?"

Tyki didn't have a response to those words, knowing that what he said was true. He pressed his lips together and stared at the pond, replaying what he had seen when he was fighting Apocryphos.

He didn't know what to make of the situation. It was so strange, yet it couldn't possibly be true.

It couldn't.

* * *

 _ **Hm...so Walker's on the run right now, and Apocryphos has taken their attention off me, and is now intent on Walker.**_

 _ **Because of Walker, Sin's own situation has been overshadowed. Isn't that a good thing? So that she's able to move around without people trying to kill her more? Hm…I don't think it works that way, but still, sorry, Walker. You'll be our scapegoat for a while.**_

 _ **The biggest problem lies wherein the awakening of the 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **. I need to meet them soon; how will I do that? Getting out of here would prove slightly difficult, but meeting the 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **would take some planning and time. Plus, since Allen's on the run, that would mean that the 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **hasn't taken over just yet.**_

 _ **How long will I have to wait for this?**_

Mei was thinking (at the back of Sin's mind) about what Tyki had told Sin of what was happening at the Order. Sin was pretty shocked, to say the least, but Mei was absolutely annoyed at the outcome, but also finding that it was better that it was this way.

 _ **It's better if it came out like this. I need the 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **for this. I don't hate you Allen, but right now I need to meet the 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **.**_

 _ **Hm…it seems to me that Lover Boy has realised something when he came into contact with Apocryphos. Does he know? Hm…that doesn't seem to make any difference at all, so there's nothing wrong with that.**_

 _ **The biggest problem is whether or not I can get out of here without them noticing, and meet up with the 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **.**_

 _ **If I can do that, then I'll be able to start my plan.**_

… _ **sorry, Sin. I need to do this.**_

* * *

"If you end up finding Mei along with the 14th, you need to stay by their side as well. It doesn't matter what Central has issued for Sin's kill on site order; you need to protect her until you are able to get the information I need!"

"…yes!"

* * *

In the following 3 months, Sin was still where the Noah were.

Wisely noticed that Sin herself wasn't doing anything suspicious, which made him wonder whether or not she wanted to go back to the Order at all, or go check on her former travelling companions and such.

The only thing that did strike his curiosity was Sin asking him whether or not he knew what was happening to her, and if he could read Mei's mind.

Of course, Wisely gave her an honest answer, not because they were on friendly terms, but because he felt pity for her. He answered yes for the former and no for the latter, even explaining to her when she didn't understand.

He remembered her dissatisfied face when he told her that he couldn't tell her anything about what was going through Mei's mind. Even with the discontent, she didn't sulk on it, easily accepting it.

"That's fine, stuff like this always happen anyway." She had replied.

 _I don't know if she is more pitiful than Mei,_ Wisely tapped his fingers against his knee.

"Oi, Wisely, you coming?" Tyki called, picking up the daffodil he had bought from a little girl on the streets. He placed a hand on his hip, waiting for his nephew to hurry up.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Wisely stood and put on a warm coat, readying himself for the cold. They were going to the circus that day, since Wisely was too poor to have seen one properly, and Sin and Tyki wanted to see it again.

"What's the flower for?" The smaller Noah wiggled his eyebrows as he smiled knowingly. He already knew but wanted to tease him.

Tyki knew that Wisely wouldn't ever stop reading his mind, so he bonked his head lightly with his fist before heading to Sin's room. "Stop asking when you already know."

With one knock, the female opened the door. She was all smiles, dressed in one of Lulubell's female suits. She had her hair in a low ponytail and had fake glasses.

Tyki stared at her for a long moment, then grinned as he enveloped her into a hug.

Wisely gave her a thumbs up, liking the outfit. It suited her quite well.

When Tyki pulled back, he positioned the daffodil above her ear, situating it so that it didn't fall. "Here ya go."

Sin looked at him with interest, then to the side, trying to see if she could see what he put in her hair. With a touch, she realised it was a flower. "What's this for?"

"Just a finishing touch. Anyway, you all done?"

"Mhmm. Let's go!"

"It feels like I'm going to the circus with my parents." Wisely purposely spoke out loud so that Tyki and Sin could hear. Gamako, his frog that sat on top of his head, croaked in a way similar to agreement.

Tyki and Sin looked back at the same time to see Wisely holding a victory sign and a grin plastered across his face. The grin had come from the amusement he felt when hearing their thoughts.

The taller Noah and the former exorcist exchanged glances, before the latter started to laugh, holding her hand out to Wisely, "Well, then, son, let's get going, shall we?" She played along with him.

Tyki just stared at her weirdly, rubbing the nape of his neck. He was _definitely not_ going to do that.

Even with them burning holes into him with their stares, he held his own, stating firmly, "No."

With a pout, Demon Eyes and Sin shrugged and laughed it off as they headed off to the circus that was currently in town.

* * *

"You guys go on ahead, I'll be right back!" Sin waved to the two men as she headed to the merchandise store, hoping to buy some things to remember the memory with.

"Where's she going?" Tyki turned to Wisely.

"She wants to buy some stuff from the circus." He lazily replied.

"Shouldn't we have gone with her? There's a lot of people here…" Tyki glanced around, seeing the number of people increasing as they flooded out of the circus tent.

"Nah, it should be fine. We should stay here; she'll know where we are."

The circus itself had just finished up, and Sin wanted to get to the store before a queue had started to form. She was one of the faster ones there, and when she went inside the makeshift tent to see what they had in stock, she felt something ominous, causing a shiver to go down her spine.

She ignored it, thinking it was just the cold winds, but when she felt the sensation of a hand touching her neck, then cheek, she immediately spun around, seeing that nobody was there.

Confusion settled in when she turned back around to continue browsing, wondering what was up. She touched her neck and cheek lightly, the lingering feeling of another's touch on her.

It was so strange, so eerie.

And then it happened again.

 _ **I need you to go to sleep, now.**_

* * *

Sin wasn't anywhere in the mansion, nor was she anywhere in the Ark. She had disappeared.

Tyki and Wisely had spent ages looking for her, unable to find her at all. It was like she had disappeared into thin air – which wasn't a good thing. Wisely wasn't able to find her using his Noah powers, which was worrying, and Tyki was high key freaking out.

"Where did she go?!" Tyki bit his thumb nail, glancing around with a paranoid gaze, trying to sift her through the people.

He was very familiar with her silhouette and would immediately recognise her if even a hand or leg of hers was spotted, however as of now, he didn't find her.

He pressed his fingers to his temple and took in deep breathes to calm himself down, to think rationally. Once he did, he shoved his hands into his inner pocket and took out a cigarette, lighting it almost immediately.

He dragged it out slowly, watching as the smoke dissipated in front of him. It had calmed him down even further somewhat.

 _Where would she have gone? Did she get taken away by somebody? Knowing how attractive she is that wouldn't be out of the question, but knowing her she'd fight back. Then what? Did she just up and leave?_

Wisely was reading into his uncle's thoughts, agreeing with everything he was thinking. He didn't think about cutting his train of thought unless he thought of something that may help, but he was currently thinking, so he didn't.

 _Sin…did she get lost?_ Tyki's golden eyes widened slightly. It was certainly a plausible explanation, but he didn't know if that was possible if there was a huge circus tent that was easy to spot.

Wisely glanced at some ladies passing by, seeing they were looking at the handsome Noah weirdly, then to Wisely. Tyki was in casual attire, same as Wisely, and wore those glasses he took from the trash can back when he was travelling. He didn't want to have too much attention on him, which was working well.

"That guy's got a frog on his head…?" One of the ladies whispered to the other.

"He…he does, doesn't he?" The other glanced at Wisely before leaving.

… _just now, were they low key insulting me?_ Wisely kept a straight face, not really caring. He inwardly shrugged and turned to Tyki, adding another possibility to whatever would have happened to her.

"What if Mei took over and left somewhere?" Wisely suggested. He had his reasons of thinking this way, but he didn't know if Tyki would understand his reasons as to why. Heck, he was even oblivious to the fact that Mei was testing him (Wisely looked into his head into what happened with Mei a while ago, dead in the middle of the night – except he didn't tell Tyki that he did).

"Mei?" Tyki turned to him with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Why would she do that?"

Wisely contemplated whether or not to tell Tyki. He decided for it, knowing that the Noah would find out later anyways. "You didn't know that Mei is able to take over her body without any resistance, right?"

Tyki almost dropped the cigarette from his mouth, but caught it clumsily, holding it between his fingers. He stared at Wisely for a good long second, wondering how he knew, and waiting for him to continue before expressing his shock.

"I've looked into Sin's head and I've asked Mei." Demon Eyes paused, putting his hands together to rub for warmth, closing his sleeves together. "Aside from what I just told you, what's more concerning is that Mei will probably take over Sin's consciousness in 2 or 3 more uses of the Wings of Seraph."

"What?!" Tyki's voice came out sharper and more on edge than he thought it would. He inhaled sharply, taking one long drag from the cigarette and breathing it out, throwing it to the ground and stepping on it. His expression was difficult to decipher.

Wisely couldn't really make out what he was thinking. His mind was a jumbling mess, but one thing was sure, he was shocked. It was almost as if he had completely forgotten that that was bound to happen in the future.

After a long silence, the taller Noah turned to Wisely, "Can you find her if you try?"

Wisely's brows rose slightly, seeing the almost desperate look in Tyki's eyes. It reminded him of the look Joyd once gave him a very, very long time ago, when he was begging Wisely to keep his relationship with Mei a secret until he was ready to tell the Earl.

With a snort, Wisely tried, closing his eyes to drown out other voices that he could hear, trying to search for the familiar voice of Sin. He knew he couldn't count on finding Mei's voice because she knew how to cut off the connection, but he knew Sin wasn't able to.

He tried very hard—but he didn't hear a thing from Sin. Not even a peep of her voice, not even a grunt, a squeal; nothing.

Knowing that it's possible that Mei's overtaken the body, Wisely thought of what Mei would do if that was the case.

 _Would she go find the 14_ _th_ _?_ That train of thought made him pause his search, making him open his eyes, pressing his hands on his knees when he sat down by the fountain.

"Did you find her?" Although his face was calm, his voice held an underlying edge to it.

Wisely merely shook his head, continuing his own thoughts.

 _Or is she trying to find somewhere to hide?_ He closed his eyes again, resting his cheek on his hand, contemplating the options.

According to the previous user of Seraphim and the patterns and what Mei did during that time over 35 years ago, he could conclude it's most likely that she'd go with the former idea rather than the latter.

He ground his molars and opened his eyes, glaring at the ground and wondering how the hell they'd find the 14th if that was the case. They haven't felt the presence of the 14th yet, not one where it was immediate that his transformation was starting to start again. It had been on a low for a few months.

Seeing Wisely's hard gaze on the ground made Tyki stuff his hands into his pockets, trying to keep them warm. His eyes averted to the crowd, darting around to find the one he'd always wanted by his side.

But she wasn't anywhere to be found.

"I can't reach her." Wisely finally stated. Tyki stayed silent, flickering his golden eyes to him. Wisely didn't dare look in Tyki's direction when he mentioned the next thing: "Sin's consciousness is probably being suppressed by Mei. I'm not 100% sure, but I think Mei went to find the 14th."

Tyki's slight twitch of the eye didn't go by unnoticed by Wisely. He could hear the thoughts swirling inside his uncle's head, the what, who, where and whys.

With a sigh, Wisely pushed himself off from his seat, brushing his clothes off. He turned to Tyki, who had a hard expression on his face. "Don't worry. We'll see her again."

Wisely walked ahead of the male, heading back to their current home. Tyki's fingers twitched, clenching into a fist inside his pockets as he followed Wisely.

The shorter Noah turned just slightly, seeing Tyki at the corner of his eyes. That expression was something that looked just like an angry face, but if Wisely didn't know him any better, it wasn't just an angry expression, with many other emotions behind that mask.

Looking forward, the frog owner stared up at the now cloudy sky.

' _We'll see her again'…I know I said that, but which one will we see?_

* * *

 _ **I swear I felt his presence around here somewhere.**_

Mei had taken over Sin's body and had held her consciousness back. She was going through the town, away from the circus. If Wisely or Tyki found her, they'd just take her back.

 _ **Not like that's going to stop me from leaving, ha!**_

 _ **Anyway…**_ the silver haired lady glanced around, watching her surroundings, observing them to make sure she knew where she was going. Half of it was to have mental checkpoints.

She skidded and sharply turned at a corner, breaking out into a sprint once again. The presence of the 14th was near, she could tell. It took her a while to distinguish his aura and presence in comparison to the other Noah, but she was glad she took the time to familiarise herself with it. After all, they worked together.

 _ **Now that I think about it…I'm chasing Allen, aren't I? Is that why the signal keeps being weird?**_

With a small frown, Mei jumped on a window ledge and continued up, getting to the roof. She paused for a moment, stretching out her host's limbs to accommodate for the physical activity.

 _ **I forgot this body wasn't used to stuff like this.**_

Mei was in a different part of the town entirely, but she could see the top of the circus tent from far away.

She could almost hear Tyki freaking out, and Wisely trying to find her through the crowd with his Demon Eye.

 _ **Too bad, Wisely.**_

She placed her hands on her hips, raising a brow. _**Ah, I should really apologize to Tyki. I'm stealing his little girlfriend away. Eh, after all this is over.**_

Her crimson irises skimmed the clouds that were present far away.

 _ **Well…hopefully, anyway.**_

* * *

Mei didn't let Sin overtake her consciousness at all. Sometimes she let Sin see what was happening, but not let her control her body.

 _Where are we going now, Mei?_ Sin asked, concern hinting at her voice. Mei had explained to Sin vaguely about what she was doing, and why she ditched the Noah at that time. It had been nearly been two weeks since they last saw the Noah. Surprisingly, they didn't run into any of them, nor did they run into any exorcists or Apocryphos.

 _ **You're going to like it. But first, let's get you something to give as a gift**_ _._ Mei was walking at a fast pace down the hills of China, the familiar surroundings making Sin gasp.

 _ **Before you even ask, let's just say we're going to infiltrate your home.**_ Mei grinned at the idea.

Sin wanted to sweat drop. _You can't really infiltrate your own home…_

 _ **It sounded cool so at least let me say it this once?!**_ Mei rolled her eyes and swerved her walking direction to the side when she saw the estate.

 _There might be those assassins lurking nearby,_ Sin warned.

 _ **Yeah. Don't worry too much, I know where they were. Should be fine.**_ Mei headed to a blindspot where the watchdog assassins couldn't monitor, sneaking in through there when she felt that it was the right time.

 _ **In!**_ Mei landed on the ground in the courtyard quietly, looking around to see that the place was as nice as always. It was completely different to when she had seen it last, where there were unconscious bodies everywhere, and blood smeared on the ground.

The silver haired woman quickly headed to where Sin's room was, opening it as quietly as she could before going in and looking at what she could find as a gift.

 _You're going to find a gift from all this stuff?_ Sin questioned. _Who are you going to give it to?_

 _ **If you didn't listen to what I said earlier, I said that**_ **you'd** _ **be giving it.**_ Sin could almost see Mei rolling her eyes.

 _Ah…okay…well, depending on the person I can see what I have…?_ Sin wanted to shrug, but only being a consciousness, that wasn't exactly possible.

 _ **I think this will do fine.**_ Mei headed to the drawer and pulled out a plain, but thick blanket. _**This blanket should be a good enough gift.**_

 _Just who are we giving that to?_ Sin omitted the fact that Mei didn't even let her choose.

… _ **you'll know soon enough. But, as you may see them, they won't see you.**_ Mei sighed through her nose and folded the blanket, putting it under her arm as she stepped back outside, making sure to stay quiet. _**There's one more thing we should do.**_

Mei quickly headed to the main office that Sin's parents normally worked in when they were alive. She went in unannounced, peering in first and closing the door quietly. She heard the noise of something getting written by hand, and someone's voice.

 _ **Ah.**_ Mei nodded slowly in acknowledgement, taking a few steps forward and turning the corner, coming to the desk that lined the top part of the L shaped room.

She saw Li Jun and Leon at the desk, Leon writing something whilst Li Jun was doing some pointers here and there.

They didn't even notice her there yet.

… _Leon, Li Jun…_

" **Long time no see**." Mei spoke first. At the sudden voice, Li Jun and Leon's heads snapped up to look at the intruder. Their eyes widened as they took in the familiar appearance of Sin, but with different coloured hair and eyes.

Li Jun's mouth opened, unsure of what to say.

"Sister…? Is that you…?" Leon's voice was laced with uncertainty, but he still had a steady voice, albeit slightly deeper.

" **Kind of."** Mei took another step forward, giving them a smile. Li Jun bowed his head slightly at her, showing respect. She glanced at him, motioning for him to stop. She looked back at Leon, " **Sin's still here, but she's not in control of this body right now. I'm just here for greetings**."

Leon opened and closed his mouth, wondering what he should do. In the end, he stood up and approached his sister. Li Jun stayed at the back.

" **You're a little bigger than what I last remembered."** Mei mused, " **You grew, didn't you, Leon?"**

"How…?"

" **Let's just say that I'm pretty much your sister, but not really. I'm just the other consciousness that this body has. What she's been through; I know everything**." Mei shrugged lightly and ran a hand through her hair, " **Anyway, I'll be giving this body back to Sin for a little bit so that you can talk to her."**

And Mei did just that. When Sin was in control again, Leon and Li Jun watched as her hair changed to the dark colour they remembered, and the blue eyes that were as clear as crystals returning to replace the red ones.

Sin engulfed Leon in a hug, tightly and firmly. She didn't care if she was still holding the blanket, she only wanted to hug her dear brother.

"How are you, Leon? I'm sorry about this situation, but don't worry too much about it." Sin placed a hand on Leon's head, ruffling his hair. He was as tall as her nose now. "How are you coping?"

"I'm good, big sister." Leon grinned. "I'm still quite saddened by our parents' death, but I'm coping well. I have to be strong for those who rely on me, and on this family. So I have to go forward. Li Jun's helping me with my studies and for official business. He's really changed."

Sin looked up to meet Li Jun's eyes. Even from the short distance, she could tell that he was still feeling guilty about that time.

"Princess…" He started, bowing 90 degrees. "I'll do my best to prepare your brother to lead!"

"Lift your head, Jun." Sin sighed gently, "Please do. I'll be wishing for the best. I entrust my little brother to you. Prepare him well."

"I will!" He saluted.

Sin laughed a little, reminded of how he behaved many, many years ago, before he was warped for the worst.

"On a side note, how are things at home?" Sin asked quietly, glancing between Leon and Li Jun. If memory served her right, she recalled that her mother was going to help Jun out, but she died before she was able to.

"We found out she was doing illegal dealings, and thus she's been sent into prison." Leon spoke nonchalantly as if it was an everyday thing. He seemed quite proud of himself, sporting a small grin.

"That's great." Sin smiled warmly at both of them. It was then that she was warned by Mei.

 _ **Only a few more minutes and we'll be leaving.**_

Sin nodded to herself and turned back to Leon, "Leon, Road sends her regards."

Leon smiled softly, remembering his sweets loving friend.

"This is all I have time for right now." Sin could practically feel her consciousness being pulled, ready to be taken over by Mei. "I hope to see you both soon."

Mei took over again, the different coloured hair and eyes taking place of the original. " **Alright. I hate to break it, but we really need to go. I pretty much infiltrated this place. Anyway, dunno when I'll see either of you again, so just play it safe, okay?** " She ruffled Leon's head a little harder than how Sin would and grinned, " **I'm rooting for you, little Leon!"** She then looked over at Jun, **"Keep this little guy in check, kay?"**

" **I'm off now**." She turned around and began walking out, but stopped, looking over her shoulder for a brief moment. " **I'm also taking this blanket from Sin's room—she said okay so now you'll know she won't have this specific blanket. Well, see you!"** With a careless wave of the hand, Mei left quietly and quickly, making it seem like she didn't even stop by at all.

Needless to say, Leon and Li Jun were quite baffled by what just happened, the surprise only settling in a good five minutes after she left.

* * *

 _ **Sin. Go to sleep for a while.**_

 _Huh? Why—_

Sin's consciousness zoned out. Mei let out a small sigh and glanced around. Invoking the Wings of Seraph, she flew into the sky, towards a certain location that would surely make Sin happy.

As she soared the skies, she glanced down, seeing the lights beginning to flicker on as the sun set.

She didn't feel guilty about using the Innocence that had Sin worrying, rather, she was thinking ahead about what to use those last uses for, as she suspected Sin wouldn't use them at all out of caution.

 _ **It's easier to get around this way, too. 2 more uses after this. How long can I prolong one session for?**_

The current host body was a good one – it was almost familiar to her, reminding her of her old one.

 _ **Before, it should have been hours at the most. It does drain a lot of energy, so I can't invoke it for too long. I think, for now, it should be a combined total of between 20 to 30 hours if I maximise it fully.**_

She paused her thoughts for a moment, hugging the blanket slightly closer to her body.

 _ **Though, I still don't know the maximum.**_

 _ **I still need to save one use, and the other, just a precaution. I'm quite thankful that the 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **has decided to come out right around now. Gotta thank Cross for that seal, and the Blade for holding it at bay.**_

 _ **Now that I think about it, I could have just removed the seal at any time, couldn't I?**_

With a nonchalant light shrug, she dismissed the thought, _**should save that sorcery for when I need to use it.**_

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she continued flying back to Europe, knowing it would take a while to get there.

* * *

Eeez yawned as he held Clark's hand, rubbing his eyes gently. Clark glanced down at the child with a small smile.

"We're nearly there, so just wait a little bit." Clark took out a key to the room they were staying at in the inn. Momo yawned loudly behind him as he unlocked the door, heading inside.

They had finished off their job and had gotten back late. It wasn't anything unordinary for them, but it always left them tired.

When Momo reached the bed, he fell face first, immediately falling asleep. Clark sweat dropped and led Eeez to the bed they would be sharing. He put down their stuff and told Eeez to make himself comfortable while he changed Momo's position to a better one.

"It's cold tonight, isn't it?" Clark could see the dragon breath form when he talked. He hoped that they were warm enough. Glancing over at Eeez, he slid into the bed after turning the lights off, "Well, it should be fine." Even though he said that, he was worried about Eeez's health during the cold night.

Both Momo and Clark were used to it, but Eeez, being a lot smaller than they were, may not be, even if he said nothing against it. On top of that, he was sickly.

Eeez snuggled up to Clark when he slid into the bed, hugging him tightly so that he was warm enough. Like that, they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

" **Finally here**." Mei muttered to herself, hovering outside the window of the inn she knew Sin's former travelling companions stayed at.

She knew they were there due to understanding their presences; something akin to a skill that she had acquired over the many millennia she had memories of, kudos to the Innocence she had. However, it only worked with those she had spent a long time with, and only if she worked hard to find those trace presences. All in all, it was mentally taxing.

Opening the window from the outside was a simple task for Mei. She had opened so many locks in her lifetime that she could put a master thief to shame. She flew in but didn't retract her wings just yet, slowly floating over to the sleeping figures.

She probably wasn't as attached to them as Sin was, but she was fond of them. She gently poked Momo's cheek and held a snicker when he groaned in response, but didn't wake.

Over to Momo and Eeez, she took off the blanket and threw it over their bodies, tucking it in so that it would leave them warm. She was a little apologetic that Momo didn't have part in it, but in Mei's reasoning, she thought they would be sleeping altogether on the floor, so she got a blanket that was big enough to cater a few people.

Getting closer to the two that were sleeping, she poked Clark's cheek just as she did with Momo, laughing lightly when he did the exact same thing, groaning and moving just a little. But that little movement awoke the smaller child, whose eyes fluttered open and stared straight at Mei.

Mei was mildly surprised that Eeez had awoke, but didn't mind it too much. She smiled at him and reached towards him, ruffling his hair.

"Sin…?" He murmured gently, unsure. He couldn't see too well in the dark, but it confused him how she had wings. Something was different, but he didn't really know what.

Mei placed a finger to her lips as if to silence him, then tucked the blanket to his neck and patted his shoulder.

" **Keep it a secret that I was here, okay?"** Mei whispered, leaning over so that she was closer to Eeez.

It was then that Eeez saw that her eyes weren't the blue that he was used to, but a red. The hair not a black, but a silver. He felt no hostility towards him, so he didn't inch away.

" **Sin's going to be a little busy from now on…but she wanted you to stay warm, hence this blanket. Do keep it safe; it was her favourite blanket from when she was a child**." Mei chuckled lightly, " **Tyki is also going to be a little busy, too, so like Sin, he won't be back for a little longer**."

"Will Sin come back after she finishes her other job?" Eeez asked softly. He was an observant child, and he picked up that Mei talked about Sin in third person, so he went along with it. "Aren't you Sin?"

Mei paused for a brief moment, feeling a wave of fatigue come over her. She clenched her teeth and kept the smile on her face, trying to stay bright for the boy, " **It's a little bit complicated but Sin is kind of me, but kind of not. Sin will come back after she finishes her job. Of course you'll be able to see her again.** " Mei's smile only got wider, trying to convince Eeez that all was fine.

Eeez smiled, "That's good…I hope her other job finishes soon…I want to see Sin and Tyki again…" His eyelids drooped, signalling that he was going to fall back asleep.

" **Goodnight, Eeez. Sweet dreams**." With a small kiss to the cheek, Mei waited for the boy to fall asleep before leaving, trying to find a place where she would be warm.

 _Rather than Sin's other job which finished ages ago, it's my job that I need to fulfil._

Hearing and seeing Eeez reminded her of the child she would have raised if she didn't get murdered.

 _Sorry, Eeez._


	24. Chapter 23

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #23

* * *

Allen was on the run. Previously, he had been with Johnny in a shop to ask about some fixable items, but due to the presence of Apocryphos nearby, his arm of Innocence began to react, and he fled. Once he fled down to an alleyway, the Earl stood on the opposite side, blocking him from the exit.

It was then that the 14th had taken over, sending out a signal that would alert Mei from however far away she was.

 _ **So that's where he is**_ _,_ Mei had come back to London after giving the blanket to her former travelling companions. She had dressed herself in a wig and different clothes that allowed her to blend in with the normal masses.

 _ **He's quite far away**_ _,_ she was sure that if she ran, she might not make it, considering the attire she wore was annoyingly hard to move in and constricted her movements. _**Damn dresses.**_

She wasn't thinking of using her wings at this time—she was sure that there would be Noah around, since the 14th was there too, and they were after him. They would be sure to feel the presence of Innocence. To make matters worse, Wisely and Tyki would be the first ones (more than likely) to find her and recognise her regardless of what she dressed herself in.

 _ **Tyki, you've practically memorised my host,**_ she wanted to laugh, the guy would probably recognise her just with an arm. _**Okay, hoo boy, Wisely too maybe. After all…it's the closest to what I used to look like.**_

 _ **Ah. Is Apocryphos here too?**_ She could feel a distinctive Innocence. They didn't seem to find Mei yet, but she wasn't so sure if he could feel her presence yet.

 _ **I shouldn't use Seraphim. If I do, then…**_ Mei exhaled through her nose as she stopped in her tracks.

 _ **Hey, Sin, you in there?**_ Mei called out to the host.

 _I've been trying to reach you!_ Mei could imagine Sin just crossing her arms with a cute little scowl on her face.

 _ **Sorry. I had to do a few things.**_

 _Then why did you call me out? I can't call out to you for some reason._

 _ **Maybe because it's because your resolve is weak.**_

 _What?!_

 _ **Sorry, sorry. I just…wanted to hear your voice.**_

 _Hm? Why? You hear it all the time._

 _ **Never mind, why did you want to reach out to talk to me?**_

 _I want to know what happened 35 years ago._

 _ **Hm? You want to know, now? Didn't they already tell you?**_

 _Not from your point of view, no. Seeing as though you're going to be using this body for whatever you're going to do now, I think I have a right to know._

 _ **You're so nosy. Long story short, I made an agreement with the 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **and now I'm trying to fulfil it.**_

 _Is that why you're trying to find him now?_

 _ **Yeah. But that means I need to find Allen—oh shit.**_

 _Mei?_

 _ **Shit. Shit, shit, shit!**_

 _What's wrong?_

 _ **If the old Ark is being used by the exorcists…then that would mean that I don't need the 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **at all! Tch! I need Allen for this, not the 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **!**_

 _Wait, Mei, what are you going on about?!_

 _ **Argh! Sorry, but I'll have to shut you out a little bit.**_

Mei shut out Sin before she could even reply. Her lips pressed into a white line as she thought of what she would do now.

 _ **How the hell did I manage to make such a miscalculation?!**_

* * *

Wisely perked up when he heard Sin's voice. He was sure it was her voice—he had heard her voice in Tyki's head when he was remembering something that involved her.

 _Wait, Mei, what are you going on about?! How the hell did I manage to make such a miscalculation?!_ Was what he heard. It was just a couple of lines, but it was a confusing one if given no context. From the way he heard it, and how she said it, Wisely suspected it to be a combination of both Mei and Sin talking.

 _How come I could hear Mei's voice? Did she lose her composure?_ Wisely thought for a quick second, _doesn't that mean that if something happened to make her flustered or something, I'd be able to read her mind again?_ He let that thought go to the back of his mind.

 _But all in all, that was Sin and Mei. Where is she?_ He was able to pinpoint a general location to where it came from—it was from the other side of the town, closer to where the Earl was to her than to them.

He was outside the carriage that they had taken to get there—Tyki was waiting beside him impatiently, waiting for him to tell him the whereabouts of the Earl, who just up and went missing after leaving the knitting materials in the carriage.

"Did you find him?" Tyki asked. He took a long drag from his cigarette and then exhaled, filling the air with circular smoke rings.

"Yeah." Wisely nodded. "I also found Sin."

Immediately, the Noah of Pleasure's head whipped around the second Wisely said her name. "Where is she?!"

"Chill out, Joyd." Wisely lifted his hands as if to stop him, "She's in London, and she's closer to the Earl than to us. I don't hear anything more from her, so Mei's probably taken over her body. I'm not sure what they're going to do now."

Tyki got rid of the stick of tobacco, crunching it beneath his feet. Right now, he probably couldn't go and find his friend, because he had another thing to do; to find the Earl and Allen, or the 14th.

 _ **I will never leave you.**_

He pressed a hand to his face when he felt an overwhelming spectrum of emotions cloud his mind, but it was gone the next second.

 _That was…my inner Noah. What the hell is that supposed to mean?_ The vagabond dropped his hand to his side and almost glared at the ground, trying to make sense of what just happened.

Wisely observed Joyd, or rather, Tyki. It was kind of unsettling to see Joyd acting in that manner, but it wasn't something that he hadn't seen before.

As the Noah's memories lived on, Wisely was the one who remembered, and thus recalled everything that happened to Joyd, one whom he kept a close eye on due to the instability that Innocence and losing the one he loved because of it caused him; not as much as Wrath, but his hatred did run deeper than other Noah.

"You can always find her after the Earl." Wisely spoke up with a happy voice, "She'll probably be looking for the 14th, so you'll see her sooner."

Tyki didn't say a word, but Wisely knew what he was thinking.

' _But that's the problem—it's not going to be Sin, it's going to be Mei.'_ Wisely sighed when reading his mind.

"Let's go find the Earl," Tyki started, turning to Wisely, "Lead the way."

Wisely wondered if he saw right when he glanced at the taller male. He averted his eyes and went towards where he knew the Earl to be.

 _Joyd, what are you planning to do?_

* * *

" **Just my luck that this happens."** Mei clicked her tongue and jumped onto the roof of another building, making sure to check she was going in the right direction after a few buildings.

 _ **That guy…Rouvelier's dog…Link, was it? I swear I heard he had died somewhere. Allen, or the 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **, is there too. Geez, what the hell did they just do?**_ Her red eyes narrowed when she landed onto the ground, making sure she wasn't seen by the CROW.

But when she did, she instantly regretted it.

On the roof of the alleyway was Link, Allen and Johnny, and on the ground was the Millennium Earl. She had absolutely no idea what the hell was happening there, just that she probably should get out of there fast. There was no reason to get taken away by the Noah again if they spotted her.

She heard a loud bang of something hitting the roof and fighting happening. Her eyes went to the alleyway, spotting the Earl with binding stickers around him. He was half in his human form and half in his Noah form. As he was released, he fell.

Her eyes widened when she met the eyes of Wisely and Tyki, who were facing her way. She wasn't sure what would happen.

But, they didn't do anything.

Wisely caught the Earl and they exchanged conversation. The Earl seemed to be crying; that was what Mei was able to take note of.

"I'm not Mana. I'm not Mana." The Earl repeated those words until Wisely interrupted him.

"We're going back, Millennium Earl. You'll feel better if you sleep in bed for a bit." The familiar Ark's entrance appeared around the ground, surrounding the two embracing Noah. "Let's go back to the Ark." And so, they started to sink into the Ark.

Tyki gave Mei a long stare. His eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted.

"MANA!"

Mei looked up. Allen was there, but it wasn't Allen. It was the 14th. Mei could recognise that distinctive aura from anywhere.

"Next time, I'll be the one to come and visit you. To come…and kill you." Although there was a smile on his face, he definitely wasn't joking.

Tyki spared Mei another glance before turning around to take a step in front of the Earl and Wisely, putting his arm out defensively.

 _Mei._

Mei tore her eyes away from Tyki, staring at Wisely who was sending her a message within her mind.

 _Do you still hate the Noah and Innocence?_

That question threw Mei off guard. Her crimson eyes widened just slightly, but it was enough of an indicator for Wisely to know that she was shocked.

He didn't hear anything from her, so he just continued.

 _Do you hate that you were born with Innocence; that Joyd was born a Noah?_

Mei clenched her molars together. She couldn't get angry at Wisely, he was speaking the truth. She didn't hate Noah or Innocence directly, but rather the situations behind them that forced her to harbour a feeling akin to hatred to it. As Mei would put it: 'deeply despised', because hate was a very strong word.

 _Do you hate that you were God's favourite?_

 _ **Wisely, stop**_ _._ Mei's voice reached his mind. Wisely was surprised that Mei would allow him to hear her thoughts.

 _ **I don't know why you're bringing up things of the past, but that has nothing to do with now. I'm only here for Allen, so don't get in my way.**_

 _No, Mei. The past has everything to do with now, doesn't it?_

 _ **I don't know what you're talking about.**_

 _Mei. If you do that, you'll be gone, you know? You won't be able to see Sin or Joyd again._

 _ **Don't talk as if you know what I'm doing.**_

 _But I do._

 _ **Shut up, Wisely. This is what I've been waiting to do with my life. It's the perfect opportunity.**_

 _But it's not your life you'll be playing with._

… _ **I know.**_

 _But promise me one thing._

 _ **What now?**_

 _Don't leave him alone._

Wisely didn't say anything else. Mei was slow to close her open mind, letting Wisely to glance at some memories that were in her mind.

… _who knew?_ The Noah closed his eyes. He shouldn't get distracted now. He had to get the Earl back to the Ark and let him rest.

Mei knew exactly what Wisely was talking about. She pressed her hands into a fist each, closing off her mind from the Demon Eye.

"Joyd. The twins captured Apocryphos, and they're waiting. Don't be long." Wisely's aura had become darker, his eyes glancing back at his uncle.

"Got it. Hurry up and take the Millennium Earl back." Tyki added, blowing smoke and looking back, "Ah, that's right. When I get back, tell me about this 'Mana'. He mentioned it just now, didn't he? After all, it was thanks to you that we couldn't get anything out of bookman back then."

 _ **What? You mean that eyepatch kid and the old panda were kidnapped by these guys? Why didn't I hear of this?**_ Mei wondered. She concluded that the reason was that they were keeping it a secret from Sin. _**Yeah, that girl would've lost her shit if they told her they were kidnapped and were kinda torturing them for information.**_

Mei knew the Noah's tactics well. After all, she had been there to see them herself. It was something that happened in interrogations everywhere.

"Even if you didn't hear it from me, Joyd…you'd realise it eventually as well."

With those words, the Earl and Wisely went into the Ark. The 14th, or Nea, was reaching out his hand, matching the Earl who had started it. Nea was smiling, but the Earl was crying. Then, the duo disappeared.

… _ **Mana and Nea,**_ Mei recalled back 35 years ago. Back then, her host had died from Apocryphos finding her. But at that time, the Noah family was in turmoil because Nea had done some inexcusable things. It was hard on her part, because she was stuck in between everything that happened in the Noah family, and her own problems as well. She had seen the gist of what happened from Timcanpy, when she saw Cross Marian days before she died.

"Geez. What was that just now?" Tyki started to walk, using his powers to select the 'steps' that he would take, ascending to the area where Nea stood. "So you're the 14th I've heard so much about? It's really confusing when you're wearing that young man's face. I'm glad I could finally meet you. You didn't waste any time in making the Earl cry, huh? Eh, well…it's Wisely's fault for slacking off while looking after him, too…what say you, we go back together? We'll sit down and eat together as a family, and hear exactly 'what' it is you are. So how about it? The traitor, '14th'."

 _ **Hm? Oi, oi, oi, Lover Boy, why did you have to provoke him so much?**_ Mei sighed lightly in aggravation. _**This will make it harder for me when I want Allen!**_

Nea was trying to invoke the Innocence. It was sending out pulses of waves of Innocence and wind.

"You and everybody else, '14th' this, '14th' that…you guys call me that so nonchalantly, but…the previous generation of Noah gave me the nickname out of spite. I don't personally care for it one bit, you know?"

"Is that so?" Tyki stared at the contrast between Nea's current expression and his words.

… _ **Nea, you shit! Urgh, you're as short tempered as ever,**_ Mei grumbled. _**But I'm a hypocrite if I say that so…urgh.**_

"Listen up well, you blockheads. My name is Nea D. Campbell. And as far as who I consider an ally and family, that's something I decide." His eerily smiling expression changed to one of mock, aimed at Tyki. "Plus, having a meal with you is out of the question, Joyd. That reincarnated form of yours…I could laugh, and spit up the food I ate."

Tyki suddenly put his hand to his face, harbouring a difficult expression.

 _ **Huh? Joyd?**_ Mei could faintly feel the familiar presence pushing out from within Tyki, but it started to subside after a moment.

"Please wait, 14th! Crown Clown is Allen Walker's Innocence! There's no guarantee that the Innocence wouldn't destroy you, a Noah! Or what if you became a fallen one or something like that?" Link shouted.

 _ **Oh, that's right. What did Nea mean by Link wanting to be Nea's 'ally'? What the hell is Rouvelier thinking? Damn moustached freak…what do you want now?**_

"Thank you for your concern." Nea didn't seem to care.

"He's serious about activating it…" Tyki watched the Noah through his fingers.

"I'll have to stop you by force, if necessary!" Link sent out talismans to stop Nea from using Innocence.

"Allen…?"

 _ **What?**_ Mei craned her head up further, trying to see where the voice came from. It was Johnny's voice, but she couldn't see him.

"Allen…? Eh? Eh? Eh…"

"John…ny…" Nea reached up with his arm of Innocence, his words broken. He didn't seem like himself. "You…called…for me? You…called…?"

" **NEA**?!" Mei shouted when he started to fall, running to the area under in which he would drop. She couldn't risk him dying then or there, or else her goal would be gone.

"ALLEN!"

It was all in a spur of the moment; Johnny had jumped over the railing, throwing himself to where Allen was, falling with him. They fell, but then suddenly the Crown Clown was activated, sticking into the buildings to hold them in place while Allen supported their fall and catching Johnny. He landed in front of Mei, who looked shocked.

"Even though I told you to stay away from me…the science division really overdoes it, huh…"

 _ **Nea…? No, no, that's Allen.**_ Mei wondered just how Allen was able to come back so easily.

Johnny cried, "Ahh! That, that…THAT'S THE SCIENCE DIVISION FOR YOU!" He hugged Allen's head, "ALLEN, THANK GOODNESS!"

"Johnny…so heavy." Allen sweated. He put Johnny down, smiling at him. It was then that he noticed Mei, and shock overrode his features. "Sin…? No…Mei."

" **Allen**." She greeted with a small nod of the head.

"What happened to Sin?" Allen asked, brows furrowing.

" **She's still in here** ," She tapped her temple, " **But I've muted her for now**."

"I, see…" Allen's brows narrowed slightly, remembering the information that was relayed to him about the inner workings of Mei and Sin. He quickly realised something, shooting her a mean look, "Don't you dare erase her from this world!"

" **Now, that's not up to you to decide, is it**?" Mei sighed lightly, and she grabbed Allen's wrist, holding it tightly when he let go of Johnny.

"Mei?!" Johnny and Allen exclaimed at the same time.

Mei pulled Allen with her towards the city, but then abruptly stopped, turning to Johnny. She grabbed his wrist too and pulled him along, not caring for the boys' complaints.

 _ **Okay, all I need to do is leave this place—**_

"Hey, hey, where are you going, taking them with you?" Tyki walked to them from above, stopping in front of the three. Mei stopped, staring at the golden eyed Noah. "And just after you show up after running away."

 _ **Yeah, so lover boy's in the way now. Of course.**_

Tyki's feet hit the ground and he put his hands in his coat pockets. "Why don't you come back nice and easy, where you won't be part of all this?" He suggested.

Mei didn't budge from her spot. She stared the tall Portuguese male for a long time, almost unnerving him with the amount of time she took staring.

" **You try too hard**." She ended up saying.

"Hah?!" Tyki made a face at her, remembering that Sin had said that once to him, too, when he was trying to win against her at poker. In light of that memory, he pressed his lips together and his brows inched together just a millimetre, but enough to show Mei that her words had an impact on him.

Tyki forced his attention away from Mei, not wanting to delve into all his memories when on the job. If it continued, he would fail the Earl because of Mei playing with his heart strings. He needed a distraction. Anything would do.

He looked at Allen and came a few quick steps closer, holding the white haired boy's head, a little surprised (both at him and that he had found a distraction so easily). "Wait, you turned back into the boy?"

Allen acted almost on instinct, pushing away Tyki's arm and making a face, then turned to Johnny and Mei, as if asking for an explanation of what happened.

Johnny was the one who explained, with Tyki chipping in here and there.

"I was talking to the 14th, you know? I invited him to dinner but he turned me down." Tyki spoke nonchalantly.

"Then go back already!" Allen glowered.

 _ **Geez, it's like I'm not even here**_ _,_ Mei impatiently waited for them to finish. _**I doubt Tyki's going to bother me for now. He has to fulfil the Earl's orders or else he's a failure as a Noah. If I can take advantage of that—**_

Mei stopped her thoughts, a voice from the back of her mind springing to the surface.

' **I'm sorry that I have to do all my Noah duties first. It's because I've pledged my loyalty to the Earl, and, well, I can't just abandon him.'**

' **That's alright. I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you. So come back to me each time, okay?'**

Her hands clenched just a little tighter around Johnny and Allen's wrists; the memory was hard on her, because it contrasted with everything that she was doing now. However, her expression didn't change.

"Eh, oh well. We've caught that Apocryphos bastard, so what say you," Tyki changed his gaze from Allen to Mei, his eyes dangerously narrowing almost in a threatening manner at the girl, "What say we all go back together?"

 _ **What's this?**_ She ignored Tyki, snapping out of her memories.

She felt something coming. She was sure it was Innocence, but she didn't know how strong it was. In response, her grip on the scientist and exorcist's wrist loosened and then tightened and she quickly threw Johnny over her shoulder and dragged Allen with her, quickly running away from Tyki and where the Innocence was coming.

"Hey, oi—" Tyki reached out an arm to her, wondering why she was running away with the other two. It was then that he felt it, and the power surged through him to his arm, hardening it with his Noah powers. He grabbed a blade, and wispy tendrils floating around his arm as he prepared for a fight.

The blade belonged to Kanda, whose sword became a problem for the Noah male, quickly wrapping him in vines and plant material that was made of Innocence.

 _ **Ooh…ouch,**_ Mei didn't even grimace when she ran away from the blast zone, not caring too much about the Noah. The only care she could give about him was that he was someone precious to Sin. That was about it. Oh, and also because he harboured the Noah of Pleasure.

"Sin—Mei! Let me down, please!" Johnny told the woman.

" **No can do, Johnny. I can't risk you dying here."** Mei turned just slightly to look at Johnny, but when she did, a dark shadow quickly cast over him and the ground seemed to rise beneath her feet, confusing the Seraphim user.

"H-hey, y-you're a little too fast…" Allen looked like he was going to throw up, his vision becoming out of focus.

Mei was too preoccupied with the quickly moving ground and the change in form that she just ignored Allen, trying to figure out what the hell was happening. The moving ground became a set of horses and a carriage, with them in the centre.

 _ **And that's how I ended up with the two fugitives that are now currently trying to get out of the carriage,**_ Mei thought bitterly. She was sure that it was Tiedoll's doing, as it was made of Innocence and Allen couldn't for the life of him open it.

"Mei, your grip is really strong." Johnny commented, holding his wrist out for her to see.

" **Is it now?** " She raised a brow. She wasn't sure because she'd never been on the receiving end of it, but she did know that Sin's strength was average, and since she was using her body, she didn't expect her to be strong.

When Mei looked over, she saw her hand marked in red around the scientist's wrist. She just stared at it, wondering if he was just a weakling or if she was just strong enough to make such a mark.

"Uhm, uh…" Johnny moved his arms around quickly, as if trying to collect his thoughts via gestures. Allen was still trying to open the curtains around them. "Uh, um, if you're here, then, um, that means we're all captured, by, um, Tiedoll, huh?"

 _ **Why is he so flustered?**_ Mei wondered.

Nonetheless, she answered his question with a nod, " **Yeah. I guess. If I'm going to be brought back to the Order, I think I'll very well just destroy the place if they plan on keeping me there with that old moustached geezer.** "

"You mean…Rouvelier?" He questioned, almost like an innocent child.

" **Yeah. That old man."** Mei was about to go onto her knees so she could try and open the curtains herself, but it was at that time that the carriage suddenly came to a halt, and she was sent to the back with Johnny and Allen, tumbling into them.

Suddenly, a brighter light shone through inside and the three of them looked to the source, only to see Tiedoll and Kanda through parted curtains.

"Did you enjoy the ride? O wanted man and woman, Mr. Allen Walker, Miss Mei Huang?" Tiedoll almost sent a smile their way, but Mei's expression changed to one of annoyance and irritation, similar to Kanda's default irritated expression.

" **What, you going to send me back to the Order now?** " She hissed through her teeth. She'd known that there were people everywhere trying to capture Allen, or the 14th, but she didn't expect a General to be there on her tail as well.

 _ **How could I NOT sense his presence?**_ It puzzled her. _**And how the hell did they know I was here too?**_

Tiedoll just smiled at her, laughing lightly. "Nope."

" **Huh?** " She was taken by surprise by his answer. Considering that Tiedoll was still working for the Order, and Kanda was in his uniform, wouldn't it make sense that they were going to take them back to the Order?

" **What the hell's with that stupid wig?** " Kanda made a face when he looked at her.

Mei clenched her teeth together and formed a difficult smile, " **I was in disguise, stupid**."

"Hah," He let out a half scoff half chuckle, "What a crap disguise."

" **I love how that's coming from you, with the uniform you're wearing**." Mei narrowed her eyes at him and removed herself away from Johnny and Allen.

He was silent for a moment, "Then we're on the same page."

"Huh?" The three of them blinked at the Mugen user, unsure if they heard right. It sounded as if Kanda was, what, agreeing?

 _ **Is this some kind of conspiracy?**_ Mei wondered, getting suspicious.

Allen nudged Mei, "Hey, what did you do to get on his good side?"

" **I didn't** _ **do**_ **anything. I haven't seen him since I ditched him somewhere along the line way back."** Mei said.

Johnny lightly rubbed the red mark on his wrist. It was a little sore, but that was to be expected.

"Hmph." The second exorcist climbed into the carriage. "Oi, you're Mei, right?" He turned to look and address her first.

She nodded with a slightly sour expression at the powerful exorcist. She had encountered him before and after he became a 2nd exorcist. His former was better than now.

"Rouvelier's after you. Something about the Flames of Purification or some shit." Kanda tried to rack his memory with whatever Tiedoll told him.

" **What, you know about that?** " Mei raised a brow, surprised that the offensive-type Innocence user would actually spare effort to remember something as minor as that.

"Yeah."

"What are you two talking about?" Allen and Johnny questioned, wanting in on the conversation. Everything had happened so fast, it was almost all a haze.

" **So, why is he after it**?" Mei crossed her arms.

 _ **I do have a couple of thoughts as to why he would. Maybe he wants to use it to defeat the Noah and the Earl, or maybe it's to make the Innocence army stronger.**_

… _ **wait, isn't that the same thing? Okay, second reason might be to find the Heart or something, I don't know. It's not like Rouvelier can get his grubby hands on it anyway.**_

"To defeat the Noah. I only heard the gist about it. Said something about using it to defeat the Earl and incapacitate him." Kanda explained, almost reluctantly.

" **So why are you telling me this**?" Mei pressed. There was definitely a reason in them telling her something as important as that. Of course, she never liked Rouvelier and already knew about it, but still, the reasoning behind it might have changed.

 _ **Though I doubt it will.**_

Tiedoll was the one to interrupt. He peered in, "He's been obsessed about it from before your previous incarnation. We want to know what it is."

 _ **Ah, I see. They want information.**_

" **What good will that information do you? It's not like you're the ones wielding it or anything."**

"It does if it's got anything to do with the destruction of Noah or exorcists." There seemed to be a dark edge to the General's voice.

Mei stared at him for a long time, maintaining a poker face that she was very good at. She then sighed, contemplating her options in the silence that followed.

 _ **Well, if I tell them what it is wouldn't they just use it against me? Hm…first up, let's see how much they**_ **really** _ **know.**_

" **You know that the Flames of Purification is a part of the Innocence Seraphim, right?"** Mei started slowly. She glanced at the others to make sure they were following.

" **Well, what this does is purify. So, it's the same ability as when you exorcists kill an akuma and exorcise them. Of course, it's a lot stronger than that."**

" **It goes hand in hand with the Innocence and works in conjunction with it. I don't really use it so I can't say for myself how it works, I just know it's a tool for purification. It's a very Innocence like power."**

"So you're saying that should someone use your Innocence they are able to use that power?" Tiedoll summarised.

Mei's brows both rose in a controlled manner, her expression like fine-tuned details in a painting. Each movement was planned on purpose to give the wrong impression; one that flipped in her favour.

 _ **I might just make up a little lie.**_

* * *

Wisely made sure the Earl was tucked away in bed, making sure he was completely fine.

 _Fine is probably an overstatement. That meeting with Nea really shocked him,_ the Demon Eye thought, casting a glance at the head Noah.

He sat himself on the edge of the bed, staying by his side. He wasn't going to leave him, and he didn't plan to. He was going to stay by his side when he woke up.

As a Noah that has had the last many thousands of years' worth of memories stored in him, he went through them in the silence.

The 14th Noah was a huge problem in the current generation because of what happened with the previous generation, and somehow, Mei was tied in on all of that.

He didn't hate Mei, but she seemed to pop up in a lot of bad situations that seemed to happen.

 _It doesn't help that Sin looks very similar to her when she was alive, too,_ Wisely thought, going through his memories. He went back to the times when Mei was alive.

 _It's like she's right there with us._

The memories themselves at that time were quite nice, especially with how she treated them even though she wasn't part of their family, and was their enemy.

 _Ah, I remember now,_ Wisely stared at his hand, _she was a very kind person. Even after she found out we were Noah and the kind that she should despise, she would still not give a care._

 _That time, I thought: 'What a stubborn woman! She's going to get herself killed by one of us accidently'._ Wisely's hands clenched the sheets that were under them, brows furrowing slightly, _ironically it was her own kind that killed her._

Wisely wasn't one to feel sad about past occurrences. However, there were always exceptions, and this was one of them.

Back when both Mei and Joyd were alive, he would always be watching them, because it piqued his curiosity. He wondered why they were on such good terms with each other, how they didn't want to kill each other, and why they loved each other so much.

 _Perhaps I found a reason to not dislike her,_ Wisely found his thought to be troubling, and he shook his head, wanting to rid himself of it.

It was like a voice told him in his head: ' _Don't_ '.

Wisely bit back strained laughter and put his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking. Slowly, his arms went back to rest on the bed, and he drew random doodles with his finger, thinking.

 _I shouldn't think about the past like that now. I should think about what's happening now. Even if it is tied deeply to what happened back then._

Wisely tapped his finger against his crossed legs.

 _If I don't know better, Joyd will try and bring her back here and keep her locked up until the time comes that she won't be in danger. That's an idealist scenario, but there's no way that he can keep her cooped up. If anything, she'll destroy the Ark or wherever she's staying to get out._

 _I wonder what's happening out there? Did Tyki manage to get her?_ Wisely wondered. _I wonder if it's Joyd talking or Tyki._

The Noah's lips pressed into a thin line, _I shouldn't even be worrying about this but I am. Tyki and Sin, are kind of being overshadowed by Joyd and Mei._

He didn't hate either of them, but he felt incredibly sorry for Sin and Tyki.

 _But enough about that. Mei might change her plans now that she's bumped into Joyd._

 _Now, which ones will she consider?_

* * *

Tyki stopped using his Noah powers, and realised how much of his attire was destroyed. He made a face, "Sheril's going to say something annoying again when he sees this…"

With a sigh, he changed his attire to the normal Noah attire that is worn.

 _I guess I'll deal with it later._

Tyki was supposed to meet up with the other Noah since they captured Apocryphos. He could feel his blood boiling just thinking about the bald thing, and only horrible memories from both the Noah memory and his own would fill his mind.

The emotion he felt from the memory was intense; boiling down to one thing: it _must_ pay. It was one of the things that both Joyd and Tyki agreed on, for the thing tried to lay a harmful hand on the woman they treasured.

 _Thinking of her, where is she?_ Tyki took a few lazy steps into the air, looking around. He was sure that they didn't get too far, but he couldn't see where they went in the midst of the explosion.

 _I doubt Mei would let her host get hurt; she's probably safe, for now._

 _Wisely said before that she'd be going after the 14_ _th_ _, but now that the 14_ _th_ _has reverted back to that boy, does she have any need for him anymore?_

Tyki stopped his slow ascension of the steps, pausing in mid-air. He thought for a moment, wondering if he should just boycott Apocryphos and search for Sin or Mei.

 _Nah, I'll get Apocryphos first,_ the Noah decided, _they're waiting for me too._

And so, he made his way to where Apocryphos was.

* * *

Link hid in the shadows, eyebrows creasing just slightly at how he had to retreat.

 _The 14_ _th_ _has reverted back to Allen Walker. I can't fulfil my mission like this. And, Mei has come. As suspected she would, just like Rouvelier had said._

 _They seemed to have escaped the blast together with Johnny, but where did they go?_ The CROW peered around his surroundings from the rooftop. He couldn't find them.

 _I have to find them both. I need to ally myself with both of them. However, that is easier said than done. I doubt the 14_ _th_ _would find me an ally so soon, and Mei has a hatred for Central and exorcists that runs deep. She also has the Noah of Pleasure after her, too._

Link thought over his options. Right now, his current mission was to befriend and ally himself with the 14th and Mei. However, that proved difficult with how things were turning out.

On one hand, the 14th was by himself and wanted one thing: to kill and overthrow the Millennium Earl. However, he keeps reverting to and from Allen Walker and the 14th. The Order is pursuing Allen and the 14th.

On the other, Mei has taken over Sin's body and is currently also on the run from both the Order and the Noah. She was with the Noah before, but it seemed she escaped and thus the Noah are after her, but Link didn't know if it was hostile or whether they were just 'taking her back'.

 _If I have to make an ally of Mei, then I would have to act now, when she isn't with the Noah. Mei was previously aligned with the 14_ _th_ _, and thus it might be easier to get the 14_ _th_ _to trust me after I get her._

* * *

"If you try anything, you'll be the first to die." Kanda's Mugen was unsheathed and pulled up right in front of the Seraphim user's neck.

" **Oh?** " Mei's brows rose in a surprisingly delicate manner, but darkened like sudden rain clouds. " **You think you can kill me?** " She touched the sword and pushed it away gently, " **You may be the Order's strongest warrior, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you will be guaranteed a win every time. I've lived longer than you, so I know.** "

Kanda made a face and sheathed his Innocence, the irritation still on his face. He clicked his tongue.

So how did this happen? Well, after the carriage had stopped and Mei had explained what the Flame of Purification was, they planned what they were going to do. Well, more like shouted and debated on what they should do.

The plan went something like this: Allen would go to a place in the countryside that happened to be someplace from a dream that he had dreamed of when Nea had taken over his mind, to get some information from some woman called Katarina. It was his own idea, something that he had gotten out of whatever dream like state he was in when Nea was in control. Everyone else was to tag along because apparently it would lead to information on the 3rd side of the war, which may aid in their plans.

Of course, Mei knew exactly what they were talking about but she feigned innocence and pretended she didn't know.

Kanda was suspicious the whole time, and he finally blew it when she mentioned something about it being futile and that they won't get any extra information that might aid in the war, because everything would be destroyed by either side in the end.

" **Chill, Kanda. I'm just stating the cold hearted facts that everybody knows but doesn't want to admit.** "Mei rolled her eyes, " **Say, we go to this Katarina woman, and get all the information that Allen wants about the 3** **rd** **side of the war. Then? What happens next? This doesn't solve the current problem we have at hand, and that's the war that's currently happening between Noah and exorcists**."

"It won't, but…it'll help us understand what the 14th is and if there is another way to stop this war." Allen spoke, but his voice wasn't as strong as it was before. Maybe he was having trouble with just getting back into his own body's consciousness again.

Mei glanced over at the white haired exorcist.

 _ **If I remember correctly, Allen quite likes Tyki. Enough so that he doesn't want to kill him, as I recall, he only wanted to destroy his inner Noah because he likes Tyki as a person. Because he has people waiting for him back at home…**_

Mei stopped her train of thought. Her lips just pressed together gently. She didn't want to think of something like that, something that would remind her of her old self. Heck, she didn't want to think about Sin or Tyki, because the both of them annoyed her to an extent that wouldn't really be called annoying.

 _ **I know. I know why,**_ she wanted to laugh at herself for her pathetic thoughts.

 _ **I wonder if Allen wants to save the other Noah, too. I wonder if all he wants to do is kill off their inner Noah, and let the human live. Or does he simply want to get information to just end the war?**_

"W-why are you staring at me like that?" Allen asked, a little unnerved at Mei's gaze.

" **I was just thinking; if there really was another way to stop this way,"** She started.

 _ **Which, there is;**_

" **What are you going to do about it if it's not something in your control?"** She questioned.

Allen hadn't actually thought about that. All he was thinking was just to get the information, get the info on the third side of the war. Depending on the answers given, he was going to take action all dependent on that.

"I," He started. "Was going to—"

" **Decide when you hear it, right?"** Mei took the words right out of his mouth.

Allen's eyes widened slightly at her words. She knew exactly what he was going to say.

" **You know, not everything will always go the way you want. Say, you had to kill someone that was the ringleader behind everything, so someone like the Millennium Earl but not, what would you do? If something like that happens anyway**." Mei put forth a weak scenario. It was just an example that was pulled out of thin air.

"Hey, what are you blabbing on about back there?" Kanda looked sick of whatever they were saying. He sat cross legged on the carriage ground, his Mugen on the side. "It doesn't matter what the 3rd side of the war is. All we need to do is defeat the Earl."

Kanda had laid out the mission objective very clearly very easily.

 _ **Of course, that's the main goal of the exorcists. And Noah, too, but vice versa,**_ Mei hugged her legs when she listened in to what Kanda had to say.

"First of all," Kanda took out a glass bottle of what was presumably sand inside. However, it didn't really look like sand at all. It was too fine. "what is that monster that chases the both of you? The Innocence one?"

" **The Innocence one? I swear I've said this many times before: Apocryphos. That little shit just doesn't know when to give up."** Mei rolled her eyes. " **Killed me many times, too."** She muttered under her breath.

Allen and Johnny looked at her with a cringed expression, knowing it was probably true considering all her incarnations. Allen could recall how much it wanted to kill him, so if he imagined having that thing after him in his several incarnations, he would be even more terrified of it than now.

Kanda continued, "Yeah. That Innocence monster that's dressed itself part of Central. Before we came here, it approached me at the repairs, and toyed with my memories. I was able to recover them, but Timcanpy had been destroyed," He put his hand on top of the glass bottle, "This was what was left of Timcanpy," He took out a piece of wood, "And this was seemed to be the thing that left him unable to regenerate."

"So what are you going to do? Regenerate Timcanpy?" Mei asked, changing position. "What good will it do?"

Kanda just looked at her, then after a moment, he spoke. "Tim seemed to know that Apocryphos thing."

It clicked in Mei's head, the little steps that they were taking to get to their goal, and the end road that they would get at. She pressed her knuckles into the ground.

 _ **That may be what their goal is—**_

"I see." Mei went up against the wall and focused on the ground, staring intently as she deciphered her thoughts.

She had really simplified the exorcists' plans and didn't care too much for it. But, she realised something.

It was like her mind went blank;

— _ **but what is mine?**_

 _ **A/N: I am so so so sorry for the lack of updates for this. 75% of this chapter was already drafted in the same week the last one was published, but I didn't know where I was going with it. I didn't know if I wanted to follow the manga more closely at this vital point, or if I wanted to completely stray from it. It took me a long time, but I've figured out what I wanted to do with this. Thank you to those who waited so long for this, and to the new readers for giving this a go! I'll be incorporating parts of the manga in this but from now on I'm going to have to make it not follow the manga, because that takes 3 months to update a chapter, which doesn't give much content. So, it might get confusing from here on out. But thank you for sticking with me all this way! ^^**_


	25. Chapter 24

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #24

* * *

"So, why did that Innocence take human form?" Kanda stared directly at Mei when he was talking. He had a hunch that she knew all the answers, but it would be tough to get them out of her. "Why is it after you two?"

Allen could remember, his first encounter with Apocryphos. It was a thing that was a force to be reckoned with, something that was immune to the power of his Innocence. But, he heard that Mei and Sin's Innocence was able to injure it. It really confused him.

"I…don't know." Allen had an expression similar to a mixture between uncertainty and focus.

Mei exhaled lightly, leaning her head back against the curtains. **"Well, you've probably heard the gist from Komui or something, but the guy's made of Innocence. It's a little complicated, but the Apocryphos wasn't originally in human form in the beginning."** She was digging up the memories of her past 7000 years ago; some were incredibly painful to remember, and some just pissed her off.

Tiedoll glanced over his shoulder into the carriage where they were talking.

 _She's almost like a phantom. She comes and goes like she pleases, and reveals information on a whim. I don't know if what she's saying is true or not, but the facts do add up._

The General averted his eyes, just listening as he instructed the movements of the horses.

 _She's got something that all sides want—I'm surprised she's lasted this long without getting ripped apart._

"The Apocryphos wasn't human?" Johnny questioned with wide eyes.

" **Well, obviously. Haven't the others stated that it's made of Innocence, like, several times?"** Mei gently karate chopped Johnny's forehead. **"But, he didn't have this form. Originally, what he looks like now belonged to someone that wielded the Innocence that overtakes him now."**

The exorcists and scientist looked at Mei like she was crazy at revealing the information. It wasn't something that they heard every day, nor was it something that they would see coming.

"What?" Allen was the first to speak, a little confused.

"What do you mean by that," Kanda's question came out more like a statement. He was intrigued by the treasure trove of information she had.

"Wha, huh?" Johnny just made sounds of confusion.

Mei raised a brow. She knew that they didn't know, but the type of reactions from each of them were kind of expected, but silly and funny. She let out a giggle at how she expected such reactions, but covered her mouth, mumbling an apology.

"What's so funny?" Kanda made a face at her.

She waved her hand in front of her face in dismissal, **"All your reactions are something I expected, but it was funny.**

" **Anyway, as I was saying, Apocryphos was actually a single Innocence long ago with an accommodator. But, when some stuff happened and he wanted to kill me for it, he was, I guess in a way, eaten, by his Innocence. And then he killed me. His Innocence became independent like that, with a will on its own. It may have been the will of the former accommodator, but he roams the earth in search of Innocence that need, what he calls 'salvation'.**

" **It's near impossible to kill him, so the only thing you can really do is injure him and run. But, he'll be after you again."** Mei summed it up simply, ending with a nod.

"That's…" Allen looked like he was having the shock of his life. He didn't like the sound of being on the run 24/7 for the rest of his life. He couldn't imagine how it felt for Mei to have done that with all her reincarnations. It would have been hell.

Kanda's brows furrowed. "That thing has been after you for 7000 years?"

Mei didn't even bat an eyelash. She just nodded, because fact was fact. " **Yeah. Hasn't given up yet, that guy."**

She heard sobbing to her side, and looked to who was crying, seeing the scientist. He was trying not to cry, but the tears just wouldn't stop. It was overflowing, flowing to the point that he had to keep on wiping them.

" **W-why are you crying so much?"** The Seraphim user asked.

"It's because, y-you've been chased by, by, by such a thing for so long, for, for, so long!" He sobbed and wiped the tears, "A-and, each time, y-you've been killed each time, each time by it…how…how can you l-live like that? It's just, it's just cruel…!"

Mei was honestly a little shocked at Johnny. He struck her as an innocent, naïve boy that took everything head on and believed in small things that would make him seem more childlike than he was.

 _ **But, this honesty is refreshing,**_ Mei found herself thinking.

She gave him a smile, a smile that wasn't happy, nor was it sad. It was one where it was hard to describe. She wished that she had someone like Johnny that was around every incarnation. Someone who would cry for her, empathise with her.

 _ **But now's not the time for those kinds of thoughts**_ _,_ she shook her head, chuckling at her own thoughts. What was she doing, thinking of stuff like this now?

" **Johnny, you don't need to cry over something like this. It's okay. I'm used to this kind of thing—"**

"Don't say you're used to this kind of thing! You never wanted to die, right?!" Johnny, in a fit of sobbing mess, cried out. His exclamation surprised everyone, and even the woman herself was in a state of shock that someone like him shouted at her.

" **Huh…?"**

"You can't get used to death! No matter how many times you die, how many times you're reincarnated, how many times you must die, don't you have any attachment to life?" His voice sounded like it wanted to crack, but he held on. "Sin—no, Mei, you don't seem like the type of person to seek out a fight whenever, even though you're strong enough as it is! How come you have to die each and every time? It's not fair! Not fair to you that someone else takes away what they don't need to!" The scientist was breathing heavily by the end of his rant, having lifted himself from his sitting position to one where he was on his knees, but the rest of his body risen.

Mei blinked a couple of times. She had only been told that a few times in her life, and it was between thousands and thousands of years.

She took a slow intake of breath, then released, telling Johnny to sit down with a gesture of the hand. **"Johnny, I really appreciate your care and worry. But, really, you don't know me enough to say any of those things."** Her words weren't meant to be incredibly harsh, but they came off as such with the tone of voice she used.

Johnny's expression flickered with shock, then he pressed his lips together, looked down and clenched her hands into fists. He didn't utter a sound, only clenching his teeth together, frustrated that she didn't care as much as he did about the matter.

" **Moving on, if you guys are going to regenerate Timcanpy, I doubt you would need me."** Mei lifted her hand, index finger up. **"I get that Allen is on the run and thus he needs to be here so that he doesn't get captured again or run into any more dangerous situations, but might I ask, why am I here? I never wanted to be dragged along with you guys."**

"Are you not in the same situation as Allen Walker?" Tiedoll was the one to speak up this time.

Mei tilted her head slightly, " **Not really, but sure, why not. Similar."** Then, her crimson irises narrowed, **"But that doesn't explain why you've taken me along with you. So, what is it?"**

"So demanding." Tiedoll laughed lightly, like he just heard a joke. "Why don't you relax a little and rest?"

" **Stop avoiding the question."**

Tiedoll just looked over his shoulder and smiled, but it held no malice nor happiness. It was merely a formality. "You know why you're here, Mei."

Mei glared at him, wondering what he meant. He was still smiling, as if he knew what was exactly going on in her mind.

 _ **What does that geezer know?**_

" **I don't know why I'm here. I wonder why I'm asking."** She decided she would feign innocence.

"Well, if you piece two and two together, it would make sense." Tiedoll dropped the smile. "You seem to be well versed with how to handle Apocryphos, and the information you have may be beneficial to us."

" **That's nice."** She spoke in monotone. **"Well, I have my own goals, so what would you do if I ditched you right here right now?"**

"I don't think you'd want to do that," The Art of Eden user laughed, "There are Finders all around the city, and exorcists are coming so that both of you can't escape."

" **What, you think that can tie me down?"** Mei questioned with the raise of an eyebrow.

"…no, not really. But wouldn't it tie a certain other person down?" Tiedoll's smile returned, but his words hit Mei like she didn't expect.

Her eyes widened just slightly, but enough that Kanda, being the sharp eyed eagle he was, noticed.

 _ **How the hell does he know about that?**_ She returned to her normal state of thinking. She needed to stay calm in situations like these, especially with people that may or may not be the enemy.

"… **okay, fine. I'll stay for the time being."** Mei said after a moment of reluctance. She wanted to do her own thing, but she couldn't if there were so many obstacles to go through. She could probably kick them out of the way but that would take forever with reinforcements and exorcists.

 _ **What a damn pain.**_

* * *

Tyki had his hands shoved into his pockets when he arrived where the twins were. He had previously been strategizing; how would he get Sin back, and how he would get Mei to stop being a confusing woman and tell him straight what she was after.

 _It's more complicated than it seems, huh._

Tyki didn't hate Mei, in fact, he was reminded of Sin whenever he saw her and conversed with her. It's just that, although it did, it wasn't really. It was different. It sometimes reminded him of himself, the flipside of a coin. His black and white sides respectively, and her black and white sides. But, with different consciousness's.

"So," Tyki approached the twins and Maashima, the Noah of Pity. The independent Innocence was held by the Twins' creation ability, holding it in place so that it wouldn't leave easily. "How did you capture this thing so easily?" He raised a brow at the twins, a small, calculating smile on his lips.

He was eager to do something to the monster Innocence. To the thing that destroyed what his Noah held dear back many thousands of years ago, and to the thing that wanted to keep killing off the Seraphim user's hosts. Even his inner Noah felt the same; he could feel his blood starting to boil, and the rage coming through.

But, he held it to a minimum. He didn't want to jeopardise the capture with something so selfish, and they had to get some information out of him first. And thus, he had to keep his inner Noah and emotions in check.

"Hee! It was easy!" Jasdero, although more mature in appearance with the absence of the strings over his mouth, was exactly the same personality wise. He waved his gun around as he gave a funny dance.

David was more rational of the two, but was still the same hot headed teen as before. He grinned devilishly at the successful capture, "Easy!"

Tyki had completely ignored them, going to Maashima in favour to ask where his brother was.

"HEY! DON'T IGNORE US!"

"He was here just now," The African explained, "I think he went to go get something."

The tall Portuguese male wondered what his brother was getting. He turned to the independent Innocence that had been captured, narrowing his eyes at it as it was held in place.

 _This thing isn't even moving…_ he realised. If he didn't know better, it didn't seem like the thing was putting up a fight. _If I recall correctly, this guy can move differently than humans._

"Oh, he's back." Maashima tilted his head in front of him, towards Tyki's direction.

The Noah of Pleasure turned around, only to see that Sheril was there, with something in his hand. "What did you need to get?"

"Oh," Sheril showed Tyki his hand, which held the ticket that they used to get into the circus. "I found this nearby."

Tyki raised an eyebrow, wondering why Sheril would have a circus ticket. "Why don't you just buy it rather than pick it up off the ground?"

Sheril held it up and pointed to the day that it was for, tapping at it to emphasise that that wasn't his intention in the first place to just pick it off the ground for nothing. "This was when you went out to see the circus with Sin and Wisely before she disappeared!"

Tyki didn't need to be told twice. He took the circus ticket, shoving it in whatever pocket he could find. He was sure that Sin would want the ticket back, considering she collected things like that back when they were travelling together. After all, when they did, they were always travelling from place to place for work, and whatever entertainment they had, if there were tickets, Eeez and Sin would collect them so that they wouldn't forget the memory.

"Thanks, Sheril." Tyki really was. The sincerity in his voice surprised his older brother, who just smiled at him after a fraction of a second of changed expressions.

"You're welcome," Sheril turned to Apocryphos, "Now, what will we do with you?" His tone had gone from light to one with a mocking tone.

" _ **Noah…all of you, Noah…"**_ Apocryphos spoke slowly, with a deep, deep voice that didn't even seem like his own. It might have been because his head was changed with the twins' creation ability, but it was strange.

" _ **Just like back then…you all, you all…do not interfere with Innocence...or God, God, God…God!"**_

* * *

Wisely stood up from sitting. He made sure that the Earl wasn't awake when he stepped out of the room, making his way to where the other Noah were. They had called for him and were waiting at where they captured Apocryphos. Tyki was going there too, it seems, so he had to hurry in case something happened.

 _The Earl should be fine, for now,_ Wisely let the sound of his footsteps fall on the ground as he leisurely walked to a different part of the Ark that led to his destination.

 _Now that we've captured Apocryphos, it should be relatively fine to torture it to death, or just until we get enough information._

He thought for a moment, stopping briefly before continuing, _huh, if Mei was here she would've loved to see it get tortured or die. Or…on a second note, maybe not. She never did hate him to begin with._

Wisely pressed a finger to his temple, rubbing light circles.

He had actually gotten a glimpse into Mei's mind when she died. 7000 years ago, she wasn't able to put up barriers like now, so he could read her mind and thoughts as clear as day.

That was how he found out that Mei never hated Apocryphos, her former colleague and friend, the one who turned on her because of her forbidden relations to the Noah. She actually understood why he was after her, why he began to hate her; she understood it all. But she risked her friendship with him just so that she could pursue the one she loved.

 _And that was how friendship and love became a regret._

In his memories, Wisely recalled that Mei, as the closest and most favoured by God, was someone who had lots of responsibilities to shoulder within the village that she lived. It was almost fate that the now-independent Innocence grew up in the same village, which were all made of travellers from different nations that decided to come together.

 _She had to travel a lot to other places so that she could protect the people,_ Wisely wondered how much a burden that would have been for her. She never injured other people, just the akuma that had terrorised places and people. She didn't even attack Noah when she saw them. Although they looked different, she didn't hurt them.

Wisely was one of her first friends from the Noah family. He had met her through Joyd. He and she would normally sit down to talk and chat, about various topics, even though he could read her mind. Sometimes, she would surprise him by blurting out things that wouldn't even cross her mind, and it would leave the male stunned at her frank thoughts.

Sometimes, when he was disguised as a human, he would visit where she was, and they would chat at her house. The male who had Innocence that would later be known as Apocryphos, was a good friend and would come over. He didn't know Wisely was a Noah, and treated him just like he would treat a friend.

But, Wisely tried to turn a blind eye to the male; his name was Aelius. He wasn't a bad guy, he was a good guy that would help out Mei whenever there was something happening. If it was anything like the myths and legends, Wisely would have to say that Mei and Aelius were something like side-kicks that would battle evil.

The Noah didn't hate him back then, he never did. But, it was only when that unfortunate situation happened that he started to hate it.

 _I wonder why I turned a blind eye back then,_ Wisely stopped in front of the door that led outside to where he would meet the others. His hand went onto the handle, but he stayed still.

It may have been because Joyd was already claiming her as his, but the reason Wisely turned a blind eye to Aelius was because he felt sorry for him.

Wisely's hand pushed down onto the handle and he walked out to where he would meet the others.

 _Love really is the greatest tragedy of them all._

* * *

"They got away," Link reported to Rouvelier. He was situated in a position that was far away from others; where he wouldn't be seen.

He had to make a status report because his targets had fled.

" **Find them, and befriend them**." The Rouvelier's voice sounded through the golem, instructing his supposedly dead underling, " **It may be easier to become an acquaintance of Mei instead. The 14** **th** **showed you hostility; Mei may, but it's uncertain what she's thinking at this point. But find her first**."

"For the Flame of Purification, sir?"

Link could almost imagine a nod from his boss. He wasn't so sure as to why he was so obsessed over getting that power, but he was sure that it was something that would help exorcists and the like.

But, he was only his servant and nothing else. Therefore, he couldn't seem to muster the courage to ask.

" **One of the survivors who were acquaintances with Mei, they gave us information regarding what that power is."**

Link looked at the golem with surprise. It wasn't like Rouvelier to say such a thing, but the voice coming from it was just the same. "Is this the same man that we have under Central's supervision that told us about the 14th?"

" **Yes. It seems Mei told them something that would benefit us. We've heard it from other sources as well; the same information. There is a very likely chance that this is the real deal.**

" **It's said that the Flame of Purification can erase the existence of akuma on a large scale, and it can be taken by taking her Innocence."**

"Sir? How do we take her Innocence? That's impossible if we don't use Hevlaska!"

" **No, it's not impossible. She doesn't have one Innocence, she has two."**

Link's eyes widened, this was the first he'd heard of that.

" **All you need to do, is take the Blade of Seraph that is her hairpin—her sword."**

Link's face scrunched together in a focused expression.

How could he get close to Mei without her wanting to kill him? Last time he remembered, she was someone dangerous that could injure many without even acquiring a scratch.

" **Report back to me when there are developments."**

"Yes, sir!"

The line cut between the master and servant, leaving the former CROW member to put the golem back into his clothes, turned off. He crouched down when he heard some voices from the side, maintaining his hiding spot.

Reflecting on his superior's words, he wondered if it was the right thing to do.

 _It seems she won't kill on first sight, from what I've seen. Is she more rational, or is she someone who analyses and decides on that factor? How is this easier than befriending the 14_ _th_ _? Mei is just as dangerous, if not more!_

But orders were orders, and he had to carry them out.

* * *

" **So how long are we going to stay here?"** Mei questioned, rubbing her nose. She had the itchy feeling that she wanted to sneeze, but it went away mid sneeze, and left her with a weird feeling.

 _ **Wonder if someone is talking about me.**_

"Until we get out of the city."

" **Yeah, I mean how are we going to get out of the city without getting caught?** " She deadpanned. " **Like, I see that we're with a General and Kanda, but judging by how Allen and Johnny reacted, Kanda, are you not with the Order anymore, or, I don't know, what the hell are you doing?"** She was a little confused with what exactly they were doing. Were they loyal to the Order or were they just doing whatever the hell they wanted?

" **Helping fugitives kind of makes you guys' fugitives too."**

"If there's a 3rd side to this war, we're going to find that out," Tiedoll was the one to reply, "It may help with the war between the Earl and exorcists right now."

Mei kept her silence. She didn't want to let slip that she already knew what the 3rd side of the war was. If she did, they would interrogate her.

She sighed lightly, turning to Kanda, **"So? What have you, O strongest warrior of the Order, have to say about this?"**

"We're going to leave the city to find Katarina." He said it with a face that almost seemed like he was saying 'what, did you not know that already, dumbass?'

She clenched her teeth together when she saw that and kept her calm, though her hands were formed into fists that clenched until they were white.

" **Yeah. We are."** She almost growled out. One thing she hated most, was being called an idiot by another idiot.

Johnny turned to Mei, "So why are you in London, Si—Mei?" He caught himself and lightly laughed, "Sorry, I'm not used to seeing you as Mei since you're in Sin's body."

Mei turned to him with a relaxed expression. She didn't get angry at Johnny because he was actually one of the nicest people she's ever met. But alas, still kind of dumb. But a good dumb.

" **That's fine. I'm used to it already. As for London…"** She had to think about this for a little bit. Technically, she was in London so that she could find the 14th, or Allen, for her goals. Now that she's found him, what she wanted to do wasn't supposed to be eavesdropped by others, since it deemed suspicious.

 _ **Guess I got to make up some shit on the fly.**_

" **Well, I was here because it was the closest city to where Sin's travelling friends were."** Mei wasn't actually lying, because it was, but she left it at that.

Allen looked at her with a weird expression, like he wanted to say something, but was hesitant.

"Spill it, beansprout." Kanda didn't even hold back. He just wanted to lay everything down onto the table so that they can move on.

"Weren't you in London looking for me?" Allen asked, pointing to himself, "Or, um, the 14th?"

Mei was silent for a moment, contemplating her reaction, then raised a brow, " **Huh? How did you come to that?"**

"Well, when I dropped down from the roof you grabbed Johnny and me, and well, you wanted to run away, right?" He didn't sound too sure of himself.

" **Well, I guess? I don't think leaving you to die there would have been a good idea."** Mei had her arms around her bent legs. **"Sin would be sad."**

Allen was about to say something, but Mei cut him off.

" **But I do need you for something. 2 things, maybe."**

"What?"

Mei just smiled at him. The boys didn't say anything in return, only questions running through his mind.

" **So what are we going to do with Timcanpy? How do we get him back up and being a golem?"** The sudden change of topic was a reminder that there were definitely other things that were happening.

As much as Allen wanted to question what Mei's other motives were, they couldn't because there were other things that they had to do.

" **If Cross was here he'd know what to do**." Mei looked at the jar, " **Do you think this Katarina woman will be able to resurrect him?"**

Kanda stared at the Seraphim user for a moment, then at the others, before replying. "That's exactly why we're going that way."

" **Yeah, and we need to get out of the city first to achieve that."** Mei stopped the urge of wanting to roll her eyes at the Mugen user. She turned to Allen, " **Do you know where this Katarina is living?"**

"Uh," He was a little stunned to have been put on the spot like that, "It was out in the country, somewhere…"

Everyone just stared at him like he was useless. The information he gave was vague and didn't give any directions at all.

"Stop looking at me like that!" He complained, "I only know that it's in the country in a big house, and there's a huge wheat field, I think, and this big tree too!"

" **Yeah, very descriptive, Allen."**

"Good job beansprout. Try thinking harder."

"Now, now, let's not badger him so much, you two." Tiedoll interrupted. He was still instructing the horses, but he looked over his shoulder briefly, "It's not the most descriptive and there are lots of areas that look like that, but if it's Allen, he'll remember some other details." The General smiled.

"But I…there isn't anything more I can remember." Allen pressed a hand to his forehead, thinking deeply about what dreams he's had while Nea had overtaken his body.

"If you can't remember, then there are others who do." Tiedoll put one finger up as in a pointer.

"You mean the 14th?" Allen spoke up after a while. "You want me to ask the 14th? The one that's going to take over my body again?" His words shook with a frightened and angry note.

"Who are the others?" Kanda's words didn't seem to be a demand but a genuine question.

 _ **Did he get nicer?**_ Mei wondered, _**compared to what he was like when Sin first met him, he's definitely mellowed down.**_

Tiedoll put another finger up, "Cross, but we don't know where he is or if he's alive or not," he put up the 3rd finger, "and, the woman sitting in this very carriage."

Mei's crimson coloured eyes narrowed at Tiedoll's words. " **What are you insinuating, Tiedoll?"** Her words were not harsh, but they were cautious.

The General only smiled, putting his hand down to hold the reins. "One of those closest to the 14th and someone who's able to communicate easily to the Earl, someone they don't want dead," He paused, a light hum on his lips, "so why wouldn't you know Katarina? Or at least, where she lives and stories about her?"

" **Just because I was on good terms with Nea doesn't mean that I know every single detail about his life."** Mei refuted.

There were truth in her words, but she didn't verbally deny or agree with Tiedoll's words.

Of course, Tiedoll was correct in his reasoning. She did know Katarina. And she did know most of Nea's backstory and how he grew up and whatnot.

"I don't see you disagreeing with it." His words were playful.

Mei let her lips curl up a little. Her mind went through many processes to think of a positive situation for her, arriving at one conclusion that may be the quickest route yet.

" **Well, if you believe that I know where she lives, then I'll lead the way. But, first of all** ," She turned to Allen, " **I'll need your cooperation."**

"Me?"


	26. Chapter 25

Tainted Innocence

Chapter #25

* * *

Wisely arrived via the Ark, coming up from the ground next to Tyki. He was still dressed in his warm clothes that he took the Earl back in, and didn't really want to change out of them unless forced to.

Tyki glanced to his side, seeing his lazy friend come up from beside him.

Sheril questioned, "How's the Earl?"

"He's sleeping right now," Wisely responded. He glanced at Tyki, then at their prey. "Oh, you guys managed to successfully capture him." It was a lightly shaded remark that he gave with a small smile at the twins.

"HEY! ARE YOU MOCKING US?!" David was the first to exclaim loudly, waving around his gun.

"No, not really. It's good you immobilized him," The Demon Eye nodded with agreement with his own words.

 _But I doubt that's enough to hold him down. So why's he just sitting there letting us toy with him?_ were Wisely's true thoughts. There had to be a reason he wasn't putting up a fight.

"So, what do we do with this guy? Kill him?" Sheril questioned, twirling his loose hair between his fingers. His single right brow raised in question, before his lips curled into a satisfyingly sly smile. "Why don't we just cut off each and every finger, maybe—?"

"So, Joyd, what do you plan on doing with him?" Wisely ignored Sheril, looking at the younger brother. He was used to the older brother being like this, a bloodthirsty creature akin to his inner Noah. Although he was interesting in himself, he wasn't the one to currently hold his interest.

Tyki just stared at Apocryphos with half lidded golden eyes, Joyd's memories pounding through his head. The urge to attack the independent Innocence was quite high. However, the more Tyki looked into those thoughts, the more he felt them in his mind and body.

He didn't like those memories. They were all sad, angry, shocking. None of which were happy. Did his inner Noah decide to discard all those happy memories and let those that drove him to despair grow?

Tyki was unsure. Looking at Apocryphos now, he knew that the Millennium Earl would like to get information out of the monster of Innocence. Of course, he would like to too, and find out exactly what happened many years ago as well as what it plans on doing by appearing before them now. And if time allows it, beat him up a little.

" _ **So, Joyd, how was your little reunion with Mei? With Sin?**_ " Apocryphos' words made every Noah look at him with surprised and shocked expressions. The way he said it almost sounded as if he was mocking him.

Tyki's brows pulled together, "...what about it?"

" _ **You wouldn't want her to be anywhere near the Noah. She'll destroy you all. But she is neither acquainted with the Innocence or Noah - she's her own. She's her own, and that's why she'll be the one to kill you all.**_ " Apocryphos sounded almost hysterical, holding back cackling laughter as he spoke those words in a pitch higher than normal.

Wisely's attention shifted to Tyki. He saw a vein pop and his hands clench, but he relaxed and took a step forward, leaning towards the Innocence.

"You'll be the one to die."

His own words, tone of voice and depth behind his words shocked the Noah around him and even parts of himself. Most of them have never seen this side of him.

" _ **What good will it do if all you do is ramble on about killing this person and that person, all in vain to protect the one damned to hell by God?**_ " Apocryphos wanted to laugh. " _ **In the end it'll be all for naught!**_ "

"Can I sock him?"

The other Noah showed astonishment from the intermission of the Demon Eye. Normally he would stay out of fights as he wasn't a fighter, and he would just stay back and assist from the shadows.

But, not today.

"Go ahead." Tyki took a step back to allow for his nephew to give a good punch.

Wisely took a couple of steps forward, then threw a knee in the Innocence's face, eyes sharp and deadly. A snap sound resounded from the Innocence, signifying something had 'broken'.

"That felt good." He remarked, rubbing his knee after taking a step back.

"I thought you weren't a fighter." Questioned Joyd.

"This is a one-time thing, ok."

* * *

 _ **Firstly, I need Allen's cooperation. 'To find Katarina' is my excuse. However, as much as Katarina can help with Timcanpy and his resurrection, which is currently quite uncertain, I don't really need to see her. If anything, I would avoid going there because I don't need to go there.**_

 _ **Second, we're escaping the city. As they've said, Finders would be around the city, and exorcists would be here and there to make sure we're caught. If it's like that, then it's safe to conclude that there are talismans to alert them as well. Tiedoll is also helping out, and though I'm unsure of what he wants from me and the others, I'll have to make sure that I'm careful.**_

 _ **He did say that he wanted to know the 3rd side of this war, but I have my doubts about how much he knows and how much he wants to know. If anything, he knows more than I can speculate. Just how did he find out this information? Maybe hearing it from someone else, like Cross or Rouvelier, maybe. Or, if he's a smart cookie, he thought up of the answers himself.**_

 _ **Thirdly, as I'd need Allen's cooperation, I need to make sure that he doesn't suspect a thing. As for a definitive escape and start of the final stage of my plan, I'd need to use him to open the Ark for me. That's my main concern, as we haven't gotten out of the city yet. I need to wait to get out of the city—**_

Tiedoll closed the curtain after mumbling a, "Yuu, throw a tantrum to make sure that they know you're in here." The carriage slowly came to a stop.

"Hah?" The long haired Mugen user made a face, irritation starting to flood his system as the General has used his first name. It was a sudden request, one that made him all the more want to defy the General. Like his naturally heated instinct, he blurted out words along the lines of, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU OLD GEEZER?! GET ME OUT OF HERE!" With the latter being a quick improvisation. He continued with his sharp words, playing into what the General wanted him to say.

 _ **If Tiedoll's doing this, does that mean we've encountered some Finders or officials from the Order?**_ Mei's previous thoughts had cut off due to Tiedoll's words. Before, the carriage was quiet so that Mei would explain herself, but because she never really did, this happened.

"GET ME OUT OF HERE YOU SHITTY GENERAL! I'M GOING TO SLICE YOUR ASS!"

"Better not open it, I'd say. Yuu-kun's throwing a tantrum right now." Tiedoll's words were directed elsewhere. Mei could just hear the other side of the carriage, and the voices she heard made her sure that they were Finders from the Order.

"YESSIR! THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK! HAVE A SAFE JOURNEY!"

And thus, the carriage started moving again after Tiedoll laughed wholeheartedly. After a couple more minutes of silence within the horse driven vehicle, Tiedoll opened the curtains a little, the horses slowing down.

"We're out of the city now." He reported back to them with a smile.

 _ **Good,**_ Mei thought.

 _ **Now that we're out of the city, the first thing we need to do is point them to the way of Katarina. For now, anyway.**_

" _ **Katarina should be,**_ " Mei moved so that she could poke her head out the curtain. She scoured the area, " _ **Hmm, this way.**_ " She pointed to the east.

"To Katarina we go!" Tiedoll sounded jolly, and whipped the horses so that they would go faster.

Mei moved back into the carriage, where everyone was silent. She, too, fell to silence with her own thoughts.

 _ **We're out of the city now. If anything, I need to wait for us to ride a bit longer, maybe until late afternoon or evening, where I can make off with Allen.**_

"So, what were the plans?" Kanda asked, leaning his head against the side. "Why do you need the beansprout's cooperation? What the hell are you thinking, you wrench?"

Mei made an expression of annoyance at the male. " _ **That's quite a word you're calling me. Not very nice, Kanda. If you want someone to answer a question it's best that you ask them politely.**_ "

Kanda frowned and his brows creased until they touched, before his lips formed words more polite than they would seem, for someone of his personality. "What do you need Allen's cooperation for?"

" _ **That's better, Kanda. You're on your way to becoming a full-fledged human now**_." Mei smiled, no heart put into it as she was just mocking the guy.

His nose wrinkled at the response.

" _ **Well, since you asked nicely, I'll tell you.**_ " The Seraphim user tapped her finger on the wooden carriage a couple of times, letting her plan of diversion unfold, " _ **I need Allen's cooperation because he can recognise the area in which Katarina lives."**_

"Didn't we establish before that he had no idea?" Kanda questioned.

"I don't think I'll be able to 100% recognise the place." Allen chimed in, coming out of his silent state. He was a little pale, like he had been thinking of something depressing.

" _ **No, it's not that you'll not 100% recognise it, it's that you will 100% recognise it.**_ " Mei corrected, " _ **You see, I haven't seen Katarina in many, many years. As much as I'd know the general location, you would know the actual place because you just saw it.**_ "

 _ **And I'd know it too.**_

" _ **Oh yeah. Why don't you just use the Ark to get there?**_ " Mei asked. " _ **You can use it, right? Don't you want Timcanpy to be regenerated faster?"**_

The minute Mei spoke those words, the atmosphere became heavy, especially around Allen. She intended it to be this way, but knowing Allen, he would do something that he wouldn't normally do.

"Timcanpy…" Allen mumbled his dear friend's name once, then stared off to the side of the carriage.

 _ **Hm? He's doing nothing?**_ Mei questioned.

"Uhm…" Johnny broke the silence, sweating at the heaviness atmosphere. "Let's talk about something else! Si—Mei, what kind of stuff have you experienced during your many lifetimes alive?"

It was clear Johnny was just trying to steer the conversation away from Allen and Timcanpy and the Ark. It was clear, but Mei followed along.

" _ **I have experienced many things. What did you want to find out**_?"

Johnny seemed to brighten up, rushing his questions at the woman.

Mei answered each of them carefully and in detail, providing her insight to many things.

"Mei, why don't you hate Innocence, if you've been through so much?" This was a random question Johnny had come up with, in relation to other things that she'd been through.

Mei didn't smile at all during the entirety of this question. _**"I don't hate Innocence. Innocence is just something that responds to the will of the accommodator. If anything, the accommodator is to hate.**_ "

"Those are some heavy words, Mei." Tiedoll spoke. He had been listening this whole time, and it had become night.

" _ **Yeah, they're heavy. But it's true, right? Just see for yourself, that monster of an Innocence, Aelius, I mean, Apocryphos, is just a living embodiment of the former accommodators' will.**_ " Mei touched the hairpin that she had close to her. Every stab to her former friend, every attack she ever made to him.

"Well, we just need the battle to end with the Innocence and Noah and it should be fine, right?" Johnny asked, his voice hopeful.

Mei looked at him, contemplating his words.

She shook her head, _**of course not. It's not as easy as you think, Johnny.**_

But, she didn't dare say those words out loud.

 _ **If anything is going to be fine, I need to make sure that I'm able to get on the Ark when Allen opens it up. That's the only way.**_

* * *

The Millennium Earl writhed in his sleep, dreams plagued by the dark times that he was forced to endure. Back 7000 years ago and every year from then until now, with emphasis on 35 years ago. It made him break out in cold sweat, allowing for his inner Noah to climb out from inside of him, and out into the open.

"Mana...Mana…I'm not...Mana…"

His own voice made him wake, and his eyes opened, staring at the familiar room of the ark that Wisely had left him in.

He clenched the bed sheet in his hands and sat up, careful to make sure he was steady. Staring at his hands, staring at anything associated with his appearance, or anything related to Mana, it caused him a number of flashbacks in his mind, and eventually it made him think of what had happened not too long ago.

"Nea…" The image of Allen, and then Nea, and then Allen, repeatedly, flashed in his mind.

His voice croaked out his name, unsure if he wanted to say the name of his other half.

" _ **Millennium Earl. You've got to realise that there's something wrong with you.**_ _"_ Mei's voice pounded in his head. Her words were from a long, long time ago, from when he and Nea were still on 'good' terms.

" _There's nothing wrong with me? Mei, are you okay?"_ He had answered.

" _ **I'm certain. Don't do anything rash. If you do, I'll probably be forced to kill you. I don't want that to happen. You're a dear friend to me."**_

" _And you're a dear friend to me, too, Mei. Is there something that I don't know?"_

At this point, Mei was silent. In the end, she spoke only these words; these were the only words spoken to him before she died by the hands of Apocryphos.

" _ **There are many things you don't know. When I reincarnate next, come find me. I'll tell you, tell you what I plan to do. But, I need you to swear to me that you'll help me in whatever way you can. For old times' sake. Millennium Earl."**_

" _...If you say so, Mei. I'll be looking forward to it."_

Remembering her words now, Adam wondered what she meant. He questioned it; did she mean the happenings of now, or the happenings of later?

He didn't know. He didn't know what she meant. And right now wasn't the time to think about this. He had other things to worry about.

Nea was the problem right now. Nea and Allen. And if he could help it at all, he wanted to solve that problem first, before anything else.

" _ **You can solve whatever problem you want first, but you can't forget all of them.**_ "

He felt like screaming "I know!", but no one would answer him, nor would the voice inside his head stop talking.

" _ **I know where Nea is."**_

"That's right. That's right…she would know...she would know, since she's an exorcist..." the Earl mumbled, pressing a hand to his eye.

"She would know...she would know where Nea is..."

* * *

The Noah had retreated and returned to a part of the ark, secluded to its own area to get information from Apocryphos.

After Wisely had kneed him instead of throwing a punch, they had gone back with Apocryphos as their hostage. They'd gone because a commotion was happening, and the Order's Finders and exorcists were everywhere. They couldn't risk getting caught by them or engage in battle. There just wasn't any point.

Tyki had his arms and legs crossed as he sat in a chair in front of Apocryphos. The monster of Innocence was still held by the Twin's creation ability, securing him from moving.

 _If I recall, this guy is strong. He's as strong as Mei...they're both monsters._

" _ **Are you here to watch me?"**_ The human shaped Innocence spoke after a long while of silence.

"What do you think? I've been here for the past hour." The vagabond's words were prickly.

Apocryphos chuckled, " _ **Do you think you'll gain anything by holding me hostage? I won't tell you where the Heart is."**_

Tyki stared at him for a long moment, "Yeah, figures. Then, tell me about Mei, about Sin."

" _ **About Mei?"**_ A low growl resounded in the Innocence's throat, " _ **The scum that sided with the Noah? The one who God favoured? Filthy**_..."

"Yeah, I don't know why you hate her so much." Tyki's tone was light, but he forced it that way. He didn't want to break his cool.

" _ **Sin and Mei...they're the same, no? They both fell for a Noah, they're both wielders of Innocence, they're both favoured by God...**_ " Apocryphos' sentences became edgy, almost like it was growling each and every word.

"What?"

" _ **They're the same, same family, same look; Sin is her granddaughter of many generations. And now, this is the time, the time to get rid of her bloodline once and for all..."**_

Tyki raised a brow. He'd never heard any of this information before. His brows knitted together as he pressed a hand over his mouth.

 _But apart from Sin, there's also Leon, isn't there?_ His mind recalled the younger brother that was currently taking care of the estate.

" _ **Are you curious?"**_ Apocryphos' lips curled into a sadistic smile, " _ **Why don't you ask that Demon Eye Noah of yours? You'll find out everything from him. What kind of memories have you lost? How did I kill her? What kind of deaths did I put her through—"**_

A beam of pure power shot into the monster Innocence's shoulder, burning a hole straight through. A scream erupted from the Protector of the Heart's mouth.

"Shut your mouth." The Noah of Pleasure put his hand down, the black tendrils that had wrapped around his arm fading away.

The Innocence's words had made him want to poke holes through every part of his body. He mustn't get that aggravated over words of Sin. Instead, he'd focus that on the information he had gotten, such as information on the Heart.

* * *

 _ **The whole cart is silent. Allen hasn't spoken a word in a while, and Johnny's gone outside to speak with Tiedoll.**_

 _ **I have to admit, Tiedoll's reasoning to help is quite interesting. I wouldn't have known. Same with Lenalee and Marie. I didn't know they were into this as well.**_

 _ **That just proves how loved Allen is by those at the Order.**_

Mei poked her head through the open curtain, staring up at the starry sky that Johnny had openly admired just before.

 _ **I wonder if Sin is loved by them just as much?**_

It was a quick thought that had gone through her mind, but it was something she really did genuinely wonder.

 _ **Allen;**_

Mei pulled her head back and glanced around the silent cart. Kanda seemed to be watching her every movement like a hawk, not trusting her one bit. She was sure he didn't sleep a wink at all, and just watched everyone in a cautious state.

Her crimson coloured eyes glazed past him and went to the white haired teen that sat like a lifeless doll. He hadn't spoken a word for a while. He was thinking, she knew, and he was sad.

 _ **Timcanpy meant a lot to him, didn't it, Sin?**_

 _Now you decide to let me out and start talking to me?_

 _ **I need someone to fill my head with thoughts right now.**_

 _I...get what you mean. Allen is sad. Timcanpy was one of his best friends._

 _ **Yeah.**_

Mei could only sigh lightly. It was a loss. Apocryphos was the one to blame, of course, but—

"That human shaped Innocence…" Kanda's voice didn't waver when he spoke that line. It was almost laced with spite, like it had wronged him. "Just why did it take human form of all things?"

Mei just looked at him, pondering on his words, but then realised, that she had no answer.

 _ **Wait...why**_ **did** _ **Apocryphos decide to take human form? Was it to protect the Heart? Was it to easily blend into the crowd? Maybe it's closer to the look that its host had back many years ago?**_

 _ **Why?**_

The Seraphim user placed a hand on the ground, facing Kanda. " **Aelius, or Apocryphos, took human form to blend in with the crowd, I believe. It'd make it easier for him to find the Heart among other things. Just look at how he infiltrated the Order."**

" **Not just that, he's here to also take Allen. But because I'm here, he'll have some trouble, I believe."**

Kanda's dark eyes narrowed at the dual Innocence user. No words were spoken between them, and to break the tense atmosphere, Mei just smiled.

She turned to look at Allen, " **Hey, we should fight Apocryphos."** She spoke her words softly, like she was speaking to a baby, and watched as Allen's eyes flickered to her, slightly widening.

 _ **Ah, a reaction.**_

"Oi, Mei, what the hell are you doing?" Kanda spat.

" **I'm just giving him a suggestion. You know, if we capture Apocryphos wouldn't that mean that we'll have all the information we need? You guys can go find Katarina and do whatever you need to do, but we can get Apocryphos, and get him to tell us what it needs to tell us."** She added, " **And what happened to Bookman as well."**

 _ **Except, I'm not sure if the Noah had released them at all.**_

"Lavi…" Allen's lips almost looked like it murmured the name of his friend, but no sound came out.

"Mei, you're contradicting yourself." Tiedoll interrupted. He was eavesdropping on their conversation before, as it was interesting. There were dynamics there that he didn't expect. Moreover, he had a hunch that Mei wasn't being 100% truthful to them. After all, she had thousands of years under her belt of lying and forging stories that could be passed as truth, to deceive and get whatever information she needed to get.

According to Rouvelier and Komui, there were lots of things she knew that they didn't, and it would be a disaster if they didn't have her under their belt, or working for their side.

 _Well, she is a free agent,_ Tiedoll mused.

" **What do you mean, General?"** Mei gave him the side eye.

"Before, you said that you needed Allen to get to Katarina, but now you don't want to go to Katarina, and you want to go capture Apocryphos." Tiedoll summarised.

" **Yeah, and what's so bad and contradictory about that?"** Mei questioned.

"Did you not want to go and revive Timcanpy? Were there not memories stored in it that you could see?" Tiedoll turned to question her.

 _ **That's true. He's right. There is. However, I don't need Timcanpy right now. I need the knowledge of Allen and his ability to use the Ark.**_

"No, I want to—" Mei started, but she stopped mid-sentence, seeing a bright glow to her side where Allen was seated. She immediately knew this sensation, and she couldn't stop her lips from curling up into a cold, calculating smile.

"Sorry. I guess I really can't tell you anything." Allen's words slipped from a smile on his face, "Please, just forget about it all. I'll retrieve the human type Innocence myself."

 _ **Gotcha.**_

Mei grabbed a hold of his wrist as the Ark took him inside. The light bathed around them as she smiled at the others.

" **It'll all be over soon."**

* * *

Komui, whenever he was on break, would take out the book that he had gotten about Mei. It was an interesting book, full of opinions and things that had happened. It was one step closer to the mystery that was Mei.

 _I wonder how Sin and Mei are doing now. They're on the capture alive or kill list right now…_

The worry for the woman made him hope that his hair didn't grow any more gray hairs than it already did.

 _If it's London, then the Finders and stuff will all be able to capture them. If Mei's there, then she'll be easy to find. The primary mission is to find Allen Walker, though._

Komui intertwined his fingers and stared at the book in front of him, and decided to flip through it once again. It was old but still in good condition. His fingers traced over the picture of Mei, holding up the sword that was her hairpin.

She seemed so heroic, so strong, but now what was she reduced to? A villain that needed to be killed. A monster with too much power.

 _Just like great power comes great responsibility._

He knew that Mei understood that. And, he knew that Mei knew that her powers were being sought after. Whether it was the power of the Innocence that she wields as parasitic and equip, or just the years of experience she has—she knew that she was in a position to be able to do something to change whatever she wanted to change.

 _Hold on a minute._

Komui flipped through the book yet again, and his eyes widened at the possibility of his theories coming true.

 _But just how long…_

"Chief? You have a meeting now." His secretary knocked on his door.

"Yeah, I'm coming."

He felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face, realising how big her possible plan was.

… _how long has she been planning this for?_

* * *

" **I didn't expect you to come here, too**." Mei made an expression of irritation when she saw that Kanda had somehow made his way into the Ark as well.

 _ **Must've jumped in at the last minute. This guy's reflexes are insane.**_

"Do you want me to kill you?!" Kanda snapped.

Mei uncrossed her arms and clapped a couple of times, laughing almost robotically. " **I sharp sword can't possibly not kill me!"**

"Why...why did you follow me here, Mei, Kanda?!" Allen's voice seemed to shake whenever he talked.

The two in front of him stopped bickering and exchanged annoyed glances at each other before looking to Allen.

" **I didn't follow you. I baited you**." Mei spoke truthfully. Currently, she didn't feel like lying. Right now, the situation called for it.

She could see Allen's expression twist with confusion, not knowing how to respond. Finally, his lips moved to form a couple of words, "But, why?"

It was bright where they were; the Ark wasn't a dark place. It was reminiscent of the Mediterranean houses that were beautifully made with white stone.

 _ **I've made it here. I can't go back now.**_

" **Allen. I need your help in using this Ark. There's something here that I need to do no matter what.** " She kneeled down to where Allen was, leaning towards him just slightly. She placed her index finger on his forehead, " **I need that knowledge you have here about this Ark, and how you can instruct it to do things.** "

Allen was reminded of the time when they had fought Tyki on this Ark, and instantly reminded of the weird moments between Tyki's Noah form and Mei.

"The score…?" He almost whispered, feeling that he knew exactly what she was talking about. After all, she knew what was going on, and she knew what the 14th was capable of doing.

Kanda, who sat on the side, used his Innocence to threaten the woman. He held it up to her chin, "What are you planning?"

Mei looked down at the knife near her face, then to Kanda, looking him dead set in the eyes. " **Me? I'm just planning to do whatever it takes to get rid of what I hate.** "

"That human shaped Innocence?" Kanda questioned suspiciously.

Mei didn't reply at all and focused her attention back to Allen. " **Allen. Will you help me? This will benefit you as well."**

"Huh? I was going to capture—"

" **I know, but I need you to wish for the Room of Seraphs. This will help in doing what I need to do to get rid of Apocryphos."**

Kanda took away the blade that was held near Mei. "Just what is this Room of Seraphs?"

Mei glanced at the stoic man and then the white haired one, contemplating to how much shit she can make up on the spot.

" **It's a room where I can control some strings from within the Noah family. It's a secret room that the 14th gave to me."** Mei smiled. It was a smile of face value only.

"I don't trust you." Kanda said after a moment.

" **You don't trust anyone, Kanda. Anything new?"** Mei shrugged and rolled her eyes. She grabbed Allen by his shoulders. " **Don't mind Kanda."**

"What are you—?" Kanda's irritation showed on his face. He was ready to take action and kill her right then and there if she did anything to Allen.

"Mei?!" Allen questioned with a slight gasp.

Mei's hands went to Allen's cheeks, holding them so that his face was facing her dead on. It was close, the proximity between them. However, it wasn't romantic nor held any intentions of such.

" **Allen."** The strength that Mei put into her hands didn't budge, and it was squishing the boy's cheeks quite a bit. He didn't say a word, almost compelled to listen to the strong woman.

" **Help me, before you do anything. Trust me, please**." Her tone of voice was as clear as a whistle.

 _ **Allen, I'm sorry that I have to lie to you.**_

Allen's thoughts were a jumbled mess at this point. He made a resolve when he opened the Ark, and now, since Mei had gone into the place with him and spoken some interesting things, he wasn't sure whether he could do them the way he wanted anymore.

He wanted to find out more about what Mei was talking about.

"What do you mean, you can get rid of Apocryphos?" Allen asked, grabbing her hands and pulling them away from his face.

Mei let go and took a step back. " **First of all, let me ask you this: If I'm the only one that can hurt Apocryphos, don't you think I'd know how to get rid of it once and for all?"**

"But _how_? With the Purification of Fire or whatever it's called?"

" **Yes, but there are a few things I need to do that involve you using that score. I can't tell you right now, though."**

"Then I can't trust you." Allen spoke regretfully. "As much as I'd like to, if I don't know what you're going to be doing, you'll just go anywhere. You're related to the 14th, you're related to the Noah; I don't know whose side you're on, and what you're trying to do. No one does. How can I trust you?"

He could feel his eyes watering. He wanted to so very badly trust Mei, not only because she seemed like she knew what she was doing, but she knew many things that they didn't. It's just that, she was incredibly secretive.

" **I see."** Mei crossed her arms. " **Alright, then. How about I tell you this: if I do whatever I need to do, then Sin will be able to come back."**

"What do you mean?"

" **You know how whenever I use these wings of Innocence, it corrodes and helps me take over the hosts' mind? Well, there's more to that. If I can do the thing that I left unfinished, I'll be able to help Sin so that she doesn't disappear from this world.** "

"What?" Kanda and Allen both had a sharp intake of breath.

"You're lying." Allen immediately spoke.

" **No, I'm not. With Sin's situation, it's incredibly delicate. I don't want her to die, nor do I want to take over this body that does not belong to me.** "

"What?" Kanda almost spat. "You took over her each and every moment that you got!"

" **Has it ever occurred to you that each time I did, it was to protect her from the danger that could have been prevented?"** Mei turned her head to face the dark haired male, her voice becoming sharp and accusative. " **Listen, Kanda. I don't have the time to dawdle and wait for someone to die because of this stupid war between you and your super annoying organisation**."

" **I have a family to save, and lives to preserve**." Mei grabbed Allen, " **Whether you like it or not, I'm sick of this. Hurry up and wish for the Room of Seraph**."

Allen opened his quivering lips, unsure. But, he ultimately decided to go through with it, allowing a door to appear to the side. It was a door that had Mei's name on it.

"Beansprout?!" Kanda exclaimed. He didn't expect the boy to go through with it.

" **Alright, thanks, Allen**." Mei let go of Allen and stepped towards the door, then abruptly stopped. " **What, Kanda?"**

"You take a step through that door and I'll kill you." Kanda's eyes flared.

" **You? Think you can kill me?** " Mei's voice of disbelief made her crack up in laughter. She lifted a hand to her mouth to cover her laugh as per habit. " **You're a silly one. I'll still be in the Ark, you know. I'm the only one who can enter this door, by the way. And, if you want to kill me, you'll have all the time in the world afterwards. However, just be sure to wait a little bit, okay? Your resolve for killing me is unstable, Kanda. Even I can feel it.** " Mei smiled at him before putting her hand on the door handle and going in.

Allen and Kanda squinted when the door opened. The light was so bright it was blinding, but when it closed, they were able to open their eyes again.

"Oi, beansprout, why did you help her?" Kanda's voice had an edge to it, but it wasn't hateful.

 _And what the hell? She saw through me just as easily as she did every other time._

Allen pressed his lips together, then shook his head. "I don't know. What she said before was...real. She wasn't lying. She may be secretive, but…"

"But what? What are you trying to say?"

"She has a reason to do everything that she does. I don't think she's trying to betray anybody, or the Order or whatnot." Allen carefully chose his words. "I don't know how I know, but she's not a threat."

"She's the biggest threat that the Order has right now, apart from the Noah and that independent Innocence!" Kanda snapped.

"But she said she'll save Sin!" Allen whipped around to face the man.

Kanda flinched for a moment but regained his composure, "So what? She says that, but she's probably lying—"

"She has a point, though. If she really wanted to get rid of Sin, she would have already gotten rid of her by speeding up the corrosion process! But from what she's been saying, it hasn't 100% happened yet!"

"Urgh…"

"I want to believe her...I want to. She may be involved with the 14th, but...that's all there is to it, right? Right?"


End file.
